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Pushing the Limits #2
Dare You To
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction (2013)Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."
"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....
"I dare you..."
If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....
Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.
But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....
"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....
"I dare you..."
If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....
Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.
But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....
456 pages, Hardcover
First published May 22, 2013
About the author
Katie McGarry
27 books12.8k followersKATIE MCGARRY is an award winning and critically acclaimed novelist of the Witches of the Island series (A Wicked and Beautiful Garden), the Pushing the Limits, Thunder Road, and Only a Breath Apart series and the standalone novel, Say You’ll Remember Me. Katie is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is currently living out her own love story with her husband, three children, her affectionate dog, Rachel, and her very needy cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,746 reviews
February 25, 2013
There are some books you read that make you feel very inadequate as an author. This would be one of them.
January 17, 2013
SPOILER FREE REVIEW
4 STARS out of 5
Genre: YA-Contemporary Romance
It all started with a Dare...
'The words sting, but I struggle to keep the pain from surfacing. What more should I expect? He's everything that's right with the world. I'm everything wrong. Guys like him don't go for girls like me.' ~Beth
"I fell for the jock again..."
"I don't lose. Do you hear me? I don't lose and that includes you..." ~Ryan
And then...there is him.
Isaiah knows her secrets..He is her best friend. Her safety net.
A tragedy pulls Beth away from her home and her only friends Noah and Isaiah. She must now live with her uncle and his wife who by the way wants nothing to do with her at all. Beth finds herself at a new school with some familiar faces from her past. Not all of them are friendly.
WINNING...
When Ryan realizes Beth is attending his school he seizes the opportunity to win the bet he lost a few nights ago. Only getting to know Beth makes him want Beth in more ways then just winning...
*Copy kindly provided by Harleqiun Teen via NetGalley for an honest review*
4 STARS out of 5
Genre: YA-Contemporary Romance
It all started with a Dare...
'The words sting, but I struggle to keep the pain from surfacing. What more should I expect? He's everything that's right with the world. I'm everything wrong. Guys like him don't go for girls like me.' ~Beth
"I fell for the jock again..."
"I don't lose. Do you hear me? I don't lose and that includes you..." ~Ryan
And then...there is him.
Isaiah knows her secrets..He is her best friend. Her safety net.
A tragedy pulls Beth away from her home and her only friends Noah and Isaiah. She must now live with her uncle and his wife who by the way wants nothing to do with her at all. Beth finds herself at a new school with some familiar faces from her past. Not all of them are friendly.
WINNING...
When Ryan realizes Beth is attending his school he seizes the opportunity to win the bet he lost a few nights ago. Only getting to know Beth makes him want Beth in more ways then just winning...
*Copy kindly provided by Harleqiun Teen via NetGalley for an honest review*
May 6, 2013
"We lose control- quickly, so fast we've broken beyond floating to flying. I inhale and all I smell is Ryan: the sweet smell of summer rain. I'm so giddy I could almost laugh- I'm finally high. Higher than I've ever been without drugs, higher than I've ever been with other guys, higher than..."
Thoughts BEFORE book:
Wow. What is going on here. It's BETH AND ISAIAH- NOT this Ryan guy whoever the hell HE is.
I'm sorry I'm team Isaiah all the way. I mean c'mon he's such a good guy. He's took care of Beth since he's met her. I hope Beth makes the right decision and picks him in the end.
Thoughts AFTER book:
OK guys I'm very emotionally conflicted about this book. Ill tell you why in a minuet. If I forget about PTL completely and just think of this book as a separate one I could honestly say that Katie McGarry has once again written a fabulous and just as emotional novel full of twists unexpected surprises and secrets.
I know this is Beth's book but one of the things I loved most was that Katie still referred back to Echo and Noah when Beth went to see Isaiah. And we got to see how loved up they were and completely happy. I was so glad that we got to see more of them after PTL.
As for Beth well she's still the same Beth and she still got me frustrated numerous times especially with all the pesky comments she made about Echo I mean their both damaged goods and hard to understand I thought they would get each other, you know?
This book takes you deeper into what happens in Beth's house behind closed doors. And what's behind there isn't pretty let me tell you.
After Beth once agains takes the fall for her mothers irrational behaviour, her mothers actions get her locked up. Only for her estranged big shot uncle to take custody of her to keep her mothers dirty secrets silent.
Besides everything I think her uncle Scott was very admirable and although he's the first to admit he made a few mistakes. Doesn't everyone? I loved him as a person. His wife Alison wasn't in it much though and i think her character should have been more developed and prominent. I think if she was told and given an explanation for Beth's behaviour she would have been more understanding.
Ryan... I hate to say it because it feel like I'm betraying Isaiah. And I've made it no secret that I love Isaiah almost as much as I do Noah.. But Ryan wasn't actually that bad of a guy. In fact he grew on me uncontrollably. Katie has this way with words that make everyone of her characters loved. No matter how much I tried to stay loyal to Isaiah Ryan kept growing on me until I had to admit defeat and acknowledge that I loved him too.
One of my favourite parts was when Ryan and Beth finally gave in to their sizzling connection.
He may come across all cocky and confident but he has problems just like everyone else. And this is why I'm so conflicted.
I guess we all knew in our heart of hearts even though we won't admit it that Beth was going to fall for Ryan. As soon as I saw the description for this book I knew. I tried to cling to a shred of hope. But when I got this book and like PTL was split into Echo and Noah's POV to show their love, DTY was split into Beth and Ryan's. I knew there and then poor Isaiah didn't stand a chance.
I kinda feel done over. Like I as made to fall in love with Isaiah in PTL only for me to feel pained by his pain, I wanted to comfort him and tell him he deserved someone better than Beth. We were led to believe that they were undeniably in love with each other in PTL only for it to emerge that Beth in fact thought nothing more about him than her close best friend. I nearly died when Isaiah told her he loved her only for Beth to say I love you too... as my best friend. I could almost feel him shut down.
And then when in the beginning he saved her from Trent who makes Beth and her mother his own personal punch bag only for him to say I'm doing it because I love you and she tells him she hates him. Oh GOD Beth could you be even a any more considerate? When your in pain Isaiah is in pain. Don't you get it?
Beth doesn't make it easy to like her. Even though in the end I kinda did, it took me a while to forgive her. You'll see when you read the book. In PTL I liked her and gave her the benefit of the doubt because she too was going through a hard time and all she had was Noah and Isaiah and I thought if these two amazing guys liked her then she must be OK.
Overall I did very much enjoy this. It didn't shock, or wow me as much as PTL but the quality is still there, McGarry's writing couldn't get better. Its what makes these books so good.
I think it would have been easier for me to love this if Isaiah got his happy ending. But I think book 3 might be Isaiah's turn. I just hope McGarry has got him a fantastic lady because if anyone deserves happiness it's him especially since she let Beth get away.
I'm not saying that I'm not sad that it didn't turn out the way I wanted it with Beth+Isaiah not becoming a couple but it would have been a little predictable I suppose. And Beth might've still been stuck in the same town as her mother she would never have got her escape.
Even so I can't deny this isn't one fabulously written sequel. And you may say you'll hate it because Isaiah and Beth didn't work out but you won't be able to stay true to that after reading this. Like me you'll end up falling for Ryan and just feeling guilty. But if book 3 is Isaiah's book and he gets his HPE we won't have anything to feel guilty about will we? :D that's what I'm hoping for anyway.
Thoughts BEFORE book:
Wow. What is going on here. It's BETH AND ISAIAH- NOT this Ryan guy whoever the hell HE is.
I'm sorry I'm team Isaiah all the way. I mean c'mon he's such a good guy. He's took care of Beth since he's met her. I hope Beth makes the right decision and picks him in the end.
Thoughts AFTER book:
OK guys I'm very emotionally conflicted about this book. Ill tell you why in a minuet. If I forget about PTL completely and just think of this book as a separate one I could honestly say that Katie McGarry has once again written a fabulous and just as emotional novel full of twists unexpected surprises and secrets.
I know this is Beth's book but one of the things I loved most was that Katie still referred back to Echo and Noah when Beth went to see Isaiah. And we got to see how loved up they were and completely happy. I was so glad that we got to see more of them after PTL.
As for Beth well she's still the same Beth and she still got me frustrated numerous times especially with all the pesky comments she made about Echo I mean their both damaged goods and hard to understand I thought they would get each other, you know?
This book takes you deeper into what happens in Beth's house behind closed doors. And what's behind there isn't pretty let me tell you.
After Beth once agains takes the fall for her mothers irrational behaviour, her mothers actions get her locked up. Only for her estranged big shot uncle to take custody of her to keep her mothers dirty secrets silent.
Besides everything I think her uncle Scott was very admirable and although he's the first to admit he made a few mistakes. Doesn't everyone? I loved him as a person. His wife Alison wasn't in it much though and i think her character should have been more developed and prominent. I think if she was told and given an explanation for Beth's behaviour she would have been more understanding.
Ryan... I hate to say it because it feel like I'm betraying Isaiah. And I've made it no secret that I love Isaiah almost as much as I do Noah.. But Ryan wasn't actually that bad of a guy. In fact he grew on me uncontrollably. Katie has this way with words that make everyone of her characters loved. No matter how much I tried to stay loyal to Isaiah Ryan kept growing on me until I had to admit defeat and acknowledge that I loved him too.
One of my favourite parts was when Ryan and Beth finally gave in to their sizzling connection.
He may come across all cocky and confident but he has problems just like everyone else. And this is why I'm so conflicted.
I guess we all knew in our heart of hearts even though we won't admit it that Beth was going to fall for Ryan. As soon as I saw the description for this book I knew. I tried to cling to a shred of hope. But when I got this book and like PTL was split into Echo and Noah's POV to show their love, DTY was split into Beth and Ryan's. I knew there and then poor Isaiah didn't stand a chance.
I kinda feel done over. Like I as made to fall in love with Isaiah in PTL only for me to feel pained by his pain, I wanted to comfort him and tell him he deserved someone better than Beth. We were led to believe that they were undeniably in love with each other in PTL only for it to emerge that Beth in fact thought nothing more about him than her close best friend. I nearly died when Isaiah told her he loved her only for Beth to say I love you too... as my best friend. I could almost feel him shut down.
And then when in the beginning he saved her from Trent who makes Beth and her mother his own personal punch bag only for him to say I'm doing it because I love you and she tells him she hates him. Oh GOD Beth could you be even a any more considerate? When your in pain Isaiah is in pain. Don't you get it?
Beth doesn't make it easy to like her. Even though in the end I kinda did, it took me a while to forgive her. You'll see when you read the book. In PTL I liked her and gave her the benefit of the doubt because she too was going through a hard time and all she had was Noah and Isaiah and I thought if these two amazing guys liked her then she must be OK.
Overall I did very much enjoy this. It didn't shock, or wow me as much as PTL but the quality is still there, McGarry's writing couldn't get better. Its what makes these books so good.
I think it would have been easier for me to love this if Isaiah got his happy ending. But I think book 3 might be Isaiah's turn. I just hope McGarry has got him a fantastic lady because if anyone deserves happiness it's him especially since she let Beth get away.
I'm not saying that I'm not sad that it didn't turn out the way I wanted it with Beth+Isaiah not becoming a couple but it would have been a little predictable I suppose. And Beth might've still been stuck in the same town as her mother she would never have got her escape.
Even so I can't deny this isn't one fabulously written sequel. And you may say you'll hate it because Isaiah and Beth didn't work out but you won't be able to stay true to that after reading this. Like me you'll end up falling for Ryan and just feeling guilty. But if book 3 is Isaiah's book and he gets his HPE we won't have anything to feel guilty about will we? :D that's what I'm hoping for anyway.
April 20, 2015
There are times when you stand on the cusp of moments so huge, you know you’ll remember them forever.
It all started at a Taco Bell... It was just a dare...
Ryan and his friends never back away from a dare. He and his friend Chris are getting girls numbers... and Chris dares Ryan to get Beth’s. He has no idea what he is in for. She turns him down, but she is still on his mind-
We all remember Noah’s friend Beth from Pushing the Limits...
Beth is a bad ass. The tough girl that no one messes with. Inside, she is not so tough. She has had a hard life. She would do anything for those she loves. That includes protecting her mom. Even though she is sorry drug addict who has never been there for Beth. The only people in her life she can truly count on are her best friends Isaiah and Noah. She and Isaiah have a special relationship. They are best friends, but sometimes they are more than that. If they’ve been drinking. Beth loves Isaiah, but only as a friend. He has other ideas.
Isaiah is my safe. He always has been.
Isaiah and Noah want Beth to move in with them, but she can’t. She has to be close to her mom. Then something happens. Beth gets caught in the crosshairs of her mom and loser boyfriends issues, and Beth takes the punishment to save her mom jail time. Her rich Uncle Scott (her dad’s brother turned MLB player) steps in and takes custody of Beth. The last thing she wants to do is move away from her only family, but she has to. It’s the only way to save her mom.
She gets settled in and is getting read to start school. Beth is unhappy, but she covers it by being a smart ass. While in town, she and her Uncle Scott run into a familiar face. The boy from Taco Bell.
Ryan can’t believe his eyes. As a baseball star looking to play the majors, he runs into one of his idols. Scott Risk. Scott asks a favor of Ryan. Show his niece around, be her friend. Imagine his shock when Scott Risk’s niece happens to be Beth. The girl who lost him the bet. He tries to befriend Beth, but it doesn’t work well. She doesn’t want friends. She wants to figure out a plan to get out of there, save her mom, and run away. With a past relationship, she is leery of Ryan to begin with. She knows his type.
Guys like him don’t go for girls like me. I’m a toy to them. A game. And these types of guys, they all have the same rules of play: smile, trick me into thinking that they like me, then toss me to the side once I’ve been used.
I wan’t sure about Ryan to begin with- but like Beth, there is a lot more to him than what is on the outside. Ryan’s life is not as perfect as it seems. His father is constantly pressuring him. Nothing matters except baseball. Nothing. Ryan is a great pitcher, the best. But that is not the only thing he excels at. He is also a fantastic writer. Good enough to final in the state competition. But if it interferes with baseball, his father won’t let him do it. Ryan is caught in at a crossroads in his life. His dad wants him to jump into the majors- but what about what Ryan wants. Would going to college and playing ball be the worst thing?
Then there is his family drama. His parents aren’t really talking, they won’t let him communicate with his best friend, his brother, who he feels abandoned by. It’s really a mess. His mom is pressuring him to get back with his ex-girlfriend, who is a bitch. It’s just not a good thing. Then- there is Beth. He has never backed away from a challenge, and he’s not about to. The more time he spends with Beth, he realizes there is so much to this girl then he ever imagined.
“You’re beautiful when you laugh. You should laugh more.”
“Life hasn’t given me much to laugh about.”
“I could change that.”
The closer Ryan and Beth become, the more freaked out Beth gets. She and Isaiah aren’t talking much. After he professed his feelings and betrayed her trust, she has no one to really talk to . Ryan wants to be her friend. The bet doesn’t matter anymore. He wants to be there for her, but can she let him?
“Trust me.” “I can’t.” I whisper. I trusted Scott, my mother, and my father. I trusted Luke, my aunt, and Isaiah. All people who left me. All people who faded into darkness. My heart has been ripped multiple times and each time I repaired it on my own. I know my limits and if someone rips me apart again, I’ll never find the strength to pick up the pieces.
As their relationship grows and changes, Beth is starting to realize how much Ryan means to her and its scary.
Ryan knows how much he cares for Beth. He couldn’t leave her if he wanted.
Leaving her would be like tearing off my own arm. I’ve never been in love before. I thought I had been, but I wasn’t.
As I said before, I really wasn't sure about Ryan when I first started this book. With the bet, and my love for Isaiah... I was nervous about how it was going to go. After reading, I have to say that I really love Ryan. He was not perfect, his life was conflicting, he made mistakes, but he really proved himself to me. He was exactly what and who Beth needed in her life. And he needed her just as much.
"It's our rain Beth."
Their love grows and it saves them from themselves. I loved the two of them together. Ryan is willing to fight for Beth. To stand up for her, something he has never done in his life. Something big happens in the end- but you will have to read it to find out!
“I won't let you go." I blink. As if he could stop me. "You won't let me go." "No, I won't let you go. You're mine and I don't lose.”
This story was AMAZING! Beautiful, heartbreaking and just fabulous! Katie McGarry’s writing is just out of this world. I loved getting both Beth and Ryan’s perspectives. If you loved Pushing the limits, this will be a MUST READ for you!
On another note- After reading a preview of Crash Into You (Isaiah’s story) I CANNOT WAIT to read it! He needs a happy ending, and I’m sure it will be just as wonderful as the first two in this series! :D
***ARC provided by Harlequin Limited Publishing via NetGalley in exchange of review***
February 5, 2013
Beth Risk from Dare You To : Otherwise known as a classic example of how to self-sabotage.
3.5 stars. I'll be going against the grain in saying that I liked this book better than the first in the series. I understand that the masses went wild over Pushing the Limits, but I struggled with shakily written stereotypes and repetitive speech patterns. That said, the first book was engaging and the characters were likable, which was enough of a reason for me to want to continue on with the series.
After reading the second book in this series, I'm starting to wonder how much real world experience this author has with kids in non-standard living environments. Maybe she honestly does and I'm just reliving my own personal experiences from a vastly different standpoint. I really don't know.
Beth's story is one that I can somewhat relate to. I was kicked out of my original high school (in a rougher, urban area), and my parents felt it would be 'helpful' for me to move away to the sticks in order to gain perspective. I was inwardly cheering that the girl in this story was the troublemaker instead of the boy. I figured this could get interesting.
But then...the story started reading like every bad teen movie I'd ever encountered. There was a scene from She's All That, and one from Can't Buy Me Love, and yet another from A Cinderella Story. It was as if I'd fallen into a Molly Ringwald marathon and couldn't get out!
One issue that carried over from the first story which I really wish hadn't happened was the demonizing of kids who smoke weed or party in a way not involving the usual and acceptable 'social keg parties.' It made me cringe when Beth was speaking about how it felt to fly as if we were about to be prepared for some public service announcement about the evils of drugs (don't touch, kids! you might want to go throw yourself off a building!). Later in the book, she reflects on how worried she is now that Ryan found out how she used to party. Really? Is this a huge thing to be afraid of? That someone might find out you partied a little too much before you met them? As I stated in my review for book one, if we're going to put certain behaviors in a box as being freaky, we're ostracizing more than the 50% of today's teens who participate in those behaviors.
Bad and Good isn't always a black and white thing. Just like being a jock doesn't always equate to being popular, and coming from the wrong side of the tracks doesn't always equate to you getting bad grades or being a screw up. I appreciate what the author is trying to do by exposing the readers to more than a basic 'boy meets girl' story, but I wasn't quite buying the authenticity of it all.
YET...this story wasn't so bad. I enjoyed it for the most part. Other than Beth's issues with running and self-doubt, I liked her. She was sassy and didn't let people push her around. I can relate. Ryan was interesting because he was sweet one moment, cocky in another moment, then completely unsure of himself in the next moment. Different waves of behavior such as his somehow felt closer to real the real thing, instead of when you see book guys who are constantly in "worship me" mode.
Ryan did have one strange moment of "she is mine" that made me do a double take but it wasn't a deal breaker.
So there was a bet. This story started off with a bet. Before you get ready to eye-roll your way on out of here, let me give you this : he told the girl about the bet before the halfway point of the book! HUGE points for this! One big positive about this story is that there wasn't a ton of game playing. Our characters were genuine people who weren't out to deceive others.
One other HUGE, MAJOR, MASSIVE plus to this story (mini-spoiler? maybe not) *Stacia does imaginary cartwheels all over this review* Woo hoo! Take that, overdone "innocent girl" cliches.
You know, the more I think about this book, the more I realize that I really did like it, even with the complaints. The positives do outweigh the negatives - and these positives made the book for me :
1. This was a sweet love story.
2. The normal gender roles in the relationship were reversed.
3. Ryan gave Beth (their) rain in a bottle (won't spoil what this means) because she needed something tangible to hold on to from him other than just pretty words.
This book provided from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars. I'll be going against the grain in saying that I liked this book better than the first in the series. I understand that the masses went wild over Pushing the Limits, but I struggled with shakily written stereotypes and repetitive speech patterns. That said, the first book was engaging and the characters were likable, which was enough of a reason for me to want to continue on with the series.
After reading the second book in this series, I'm starting to wonder how much real world experience this author has with kids in non-standard living environments. Maybe she honestly does and I'm just reliving my own personal experiences from a vastly different standpoint. I really don't know.
Beth's story is one that I can somewhat relate to. I was kicked out of my original high school (in a rougher, urban area), and my parents felt it would be 'helpful' for me to move away to the sticks in order to gain perspective. I was inwardly cheering that the girl in this story was the troublemaker instead of the boy. I figured this could get interesting.
But then...the story started reading like every bad teen movie I'd ever encountered. There was a scene from She's All That, and one from Can't Buy Me Love, and yet another from A Cinderella Story. It was as if I'd fallen into a Molly Ringwald marathon and couldn't get out!
One issue that carried over from the first story which I really wish hadn't happened was the demonizing of kids who smoke weed or party in a way not involving the usual and acceptable 'social keg parties.' It made me cringe when Beth was speaking about how it felt to fly as if we were about to be prepared for some public service announcement about the evils of drugs (don't touch, kids! you might want to go throw yourself off a building!). Later in the book, she reflects on how worried she is now that Ryan found out how she used to party. Really? Is this a huge thing to be afraid of? That someone might find out you partied a little too much before you met them? As I stated in my review for book one, if we're going to put certain behaviors in a box as being freaky, we're ostracizing more than the 50% of today's teens who participate in those behaviors.
Bad and Good isn't always a black and white thing. Just like being a jock doesn't always equate to being popular, and coming from the wrong side of the tracks doesn't always equate to you getting bad grades or being a screw up. I appreciate what the author is trying to do by exposing the readers to more than a basic 'boy meets girl' story, but I wasn't quite buying the authenticity of it all.
YET...this story wasn't so bad. I enjoyed it for the most part. Other than Beth's issues with running and self-doubt, I liked her. She was sassy and didn't let people push her around. I can relate. Ryan was interesting because he was sweet one moment, cocky in another moment, then completely unsure of himself in the next moment. Different waves of behavior such as his somehow felt closer to real the real thing, instead of when you see book guys who are constantly in "worship me" mode.
Ryan did have one strange moment of "she is mine" that made me do a double take but it wasn't a deal breaker.
So there was a bet. This story started off with a bet. Before you get ready to eye-roll your way on out of here, let me give you this : he told the girl about the bet before the halfway point of the book! HUGE points for this! One big positive about this story is that there wasn't a ton of game playing. Our characters were genuine people who weren't out to deceive others.
One other HUGE, MAJOR, MASSIVE plus to this story (mini-spoiler? maybe not) *Stacia does imaginary cartwheels all over this review* Woo hoo! Take that, overdone "innocent girl" cliches.
You know, the more I think about this book, the more I realize that I really did like it, even with the complaints. The positives do outweigh the negatives - and these positives made the book for me :
1. This was a sweet love story.
2. The normal gender roles in the relationship were reversed.
3. Ryan gave Beth (their) rain in a bottle (won't spoil what this means) because she needed something tangible to hold on to from him other than just pretty words.
This book provided from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2013
5 DARE YOU TO STARS.
Jock v's skater girl ...
This story is written to young adult perfection. The writing is beautifully put together and descriptive. From page one I was hooked. If your looking for a young adult story with depth and emotion then look no further. This author has delivered a novel that i'm sure will capture the attention of most lovers of this genre.
There are so many positives about this book I'm not sure how to write it all coherently in one review, but here are my thoughts ...
As with most books I read with an Alternative point of view, I felt the bonus of having the opportunity to experience the story from both sides and believe me I loved both Ryan and Beth in equal measure. The story also brilliantly and sensitively tackles the issue of Domestic violence, substance misuse, alcohol dependancy and the dark, sinister reality of a young girl who has suffered at the hands of a troubled upbringing. Expect an explosion of emotions during your reading experience. 'Dare you to' is a heartbreaking, traumatic and captivating story in one gorgeous young adult package. The author has managed to steal my heart and affections, whilst delivering a beautiful message of hope and love.
So what's the story about, well the authors official blurb sums it up pretty perfectly but from my own words for me this story is all about the gorgeously written characters.
Strong, determined, stubborn and fiercely independent Beth Trick has lived her life by the following mantra ~ "if I don't feel, I don't hurt." There is a heavy emptiness about this troubled heroine, Beth has been living a life erecting walls and not allowing anybody in. Following an incident out of her control Beth finds herself taken into the custody of her uncle and his wife. Thrown into a world unknown to Beth she is faced with a new life, new school, new rules, new friends. Leaving behind all that she knows and a life that although was difficult she loved.
Ryan Stone is a misunderstood rich boy living life by the rules, existing in a world of pretence and order. unknowingly to those around him his family and all that he knows to be secure is falling apart. From the outside it looks like he has it all ~ wealth, popularity and the high school baseball star. Ryan is an extremely loveable character, he is the epitome of gorgeous hero, with a golden heart.
So, What happens when love crosses boundaries. When everything that Ryan and Beth thought made sense changes, shifts and become a kaleidoscope reality. What happens when love changes everything?
This novel is a story of two lost hearts finding each other, and at the same time saving themselves, but it's much more than a chance love encounter... Don't miss out on this story of Beth and Ryan and what happens when love doesn't make sense and dares to become reality.
This is a gorgeously written story that I loved from beginning to end. For those who are fans of book one in the series we also get a glimpse into the lives of past characters. I for one can't wait to read more, and I'm excited about what the author is going to deliver next.
Favourite quotes from the book ~
❤❤“That must be love: when everything else in the world could implode and you wouldn't care as long as you had that one person standing beside you.”
❤❤“I won't let you go." I blink. As if he could stop me. "You won't let me go." "No, I won't let you go. You're mine and I don't lose.”
❤❤“Guys like you don't fall for girls like me.”
5 HUGE 'CAN' STARS.
*ARC Generously provided by Harlequin UK via Netgalley*
Jock v's skater girl ...
This story is written to young adult perfection. The writing is beautifully put together and descriptive. From page one I was hooked. If your looking for a young adult story with depth and emotion then look no further. This author has delivered a novel that i'm sure will capture the attention of most lovers of this genre.
There are so many positives about this book I'm not sure how to write it all coherently in one review, but here are my thoughts ...
As with most books I read with an Alternative point of view, I felt the bonus of having the opportunity to experience the story from both sides and believe me I loved both Ryan and Beth in equal measure. The story also brilliantly and sensitively tackles the issue of Domestic violence, substance misuse, alcohol dependancy and the dark, sinister reality of a young girl who has suffered at the hands of a troubled upbringing. Expect an explosion of emotions during your reading experience. 'Dare you to' is a heartbreaking, traumatic and captivating story in one gorgeous young adult package. The author has managed to steal my heart and affections, whilst delivering a beautiful message of hope and love.
So what's the story about, well the authors official blurb sums it up pretty perfectly but from my own words for me this story is all about the gorgeously written characters.
Strong, determined, stubborn and fiercely independent Beth Trick has lived her life by the following mantra ~ "if I don't feel, I don't hurt." There is a heavy emptiness about this troubled heroine, Beth has been living a life erecting walls and not allowing anybody in. Following an incident out of her control Beth finds herself taken into the custody of her uncle and his wife. Thrown into a world unknown to Beth she is faced with a new life, new school, new rules, new friends. Leaving behind all that she knows and a life that although was difficult she loved.
Ryan Stone is a misunderstood rich boy living life by the rules, existing in a world of pretence and order. unknowingly to those around him his family and all that he knows to be secure is falling apart. From the outside it looks like he has it all ~ wealth, popularity and the high school baseball star. Ryan is an extremely loveable character, he is the epitome of gorgeous hero, with a golden heart.
So, What happens when love crosses boundaries. When everything that Ryan and Beth thought made sense changes, shifts and become a kaleidoscope reality. What happens when love changes everything?
This novel is a story of two lost hearts finding each other, and at the same time saving themselves, but it's much more than a chance love encounter... Don't miss out on this story of Beth and Ryan and what happens when love doesn't make sense and dares to become reality.
This is a gorgeously written story that I loved from beginning to end. For those who are fans of book one in the series we also get a glimpse into the lives of past characters. I for one can't wait to read more, and I'm excited about what the author is going to deliver next.
Favourite quotes from the book ~
❤❤“That must be love: when everything else in the world could implode and you wouldn't care as long as you had that one person standing beside you.”
❤❤“I won't let you go." I blink. As if he could stop me. "You won't let me go." "No, I won't let you go. You're mine and I don't lose.”
❤❤“Guys like you don't fall for girls like me.”
5 HUGE 'CAN' STARS.
*ARC Generously provided by Harlequin UK via Netgalley*
May 26, 2013
Pushing the Limits, excuse my profanity, is a bastard to follow up on. It was such an emotional, powerful book, so neat and well-constructed, that I was wary to pick up the next one. I needn’t have been entirely terrified, Dare You To is still a pretty good book with enjoyable things to reccomend it. I simply didn’t love it as much as I wanted to. I didn’t even cry once. It made me question, for a moment, if McGarry had lost her touch to regularly make me bawl like a little baby who got pricked by their first vaccination.
A big, angry, devastated baby
To me, it’s construction and execution didn’t seem as tight and effortlessly fluid as Pushing the Limits. In Pushing The Limits, it really felt like the the characters and their relationships with each other, with the world, with their flawed perceptions were all part of an intricate dance in a wonderful universe where everything made sense. WHY DOESN’T EVERYTHING MAKE SENSE, MCGARRY?! WHY?! MAKE IT BETTER FOR ME!
In Dare You To, Beth, Noah’s goth friend from Pushing the Limits, is separated from her drug-addicted mother and forced to live with her rich uncle. This means:
New school
New town
New friends
No drugs, drinking or random hook ups.
This would be a lot of difficult life changes on their own but then comes Ryan. Perfect awesome school dude who has his own set of problems.
Only Ryan’s life isn’t perfect. His brother’s been kicked out of home and his parents hate each other. The unlikely couple is forced together and form a relationship that is sweet and respectful and nothing that Beth has ever had before.
So first issue: Dude, what happened with Isaiah? And no disrespect because this author is badass and everything. I just happened to kind of be shipping toward Isaiah/Beth because things just seemed to be driving at break neck speed in that direction. The direction in which my heart sings, double rainbows break out and I get to go live in Equestria with all my pony friends (Rainbow Dash, we would be the best of friends).
But, you know, I liked Ryan in the end. He was cool. Real cool. Romantic too. There were some nice gestures there, bro.
In fact, he was so nice, the only real relationship I ended up contesting was Beth and her uncle’s. Ultimately, I could imagine Beth deciding she didn’t love Isaiah. That’s cool. Ultimately I could reconcile Beth’s 180 change in characterization, despite my issues with its story line. But the one thing I struggled with was the relationship between Beth and Scott, because this was a really pivotal relationship for Beth’s character development, and I was totally not feeling it. A good portion of the initial respect and tolerance between them is developed off page.
And then it just kind of takes a jagged, cutesy path that I didn’t feel was a natural progression. Of course, it doesn’t help that Beth had to change a lot in ways that I felt were unnecessary. Like you can’t be a good character if you dress like a goth, smoke some weed and like to drink occasionally. I guess I just felt it was hard to watch Beth change to other people’s expectations when a lot of those were a result of needs that didn’t seem to be met.
“I need to be there for my mother! I’ll give everything to help her- no wait. I’m cool. Totes seen the error of my ways. Let’s party, aye, Ryan?”
However, no matter how you feel, it’s still a well written, nice contemporary romance that made me all squishy inside. Up to individual tastes, but most people will mostly like it, so go ahead!
I’m not entirely sure if this review made sense because alcohol, drugs, and dressing in black seem to be a bad combination according to this book. But I guess, what I wanted, was more acceptance of Beth’s actual issues, as opposed to the outward issues. And that never seemed to be addressed fully. Her pain, her issues, were kind of swept aside with platitudes.
And, frankly, I was just in the mood for hardcore truths and badass emotional situations. Having a nice, lovely novel was good, but it just wasn’t the awesomeness I expected from McGarry. Because I love her. And I kind of wanted Unicorns and double rainbows, and Rainbow Dash to read me my favourite book.
Wait… I can still get that, right?
This ARC was provided to me by Harlequin. No money, gifts or favors were exchanged for this review. I mean, I tried to get some but they wouldn't answer my calls and then they were always busy...
This review, and more like it, can also be found on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.
A big, angry, devastated baby
To me, it’s construction and execution didn’t seem as tight and effortlessly fluid as Pushing the Limits. In Pushing The Limits, it really felt like the the characters and their relationships with each other, with the world, with their flawed perceptions were all part of an intricate dance in a wonderful universe where everything made sense. WHY DOESN’T EVERYTHING MAKE SENSE, MCGARRY?! WHY?! MAKE IT BETTER FOR ME!
In Dare You To, Beth, Noah’s goth friend from Pushing the Limits, is separated from her drug-addicted mother and forced to live with her rich uncle. This means:
New school
New town
New friends
No drugs, drinking or random hook ups.
This would be a lot of difficult life changes on their own but then comes Ryan. Perfect awesome school dude who has his own set of problems.
Only Ryan’s life isn’t perfect. His brother’s been kicked out of home and his parents hate each other. The unlikely couple is forced together and form a relationship that is sweet and respectful and nothing that Beth has ever had before.
So first issue: Dude, what happened with Isaiah? And no disrespect because this author is badass and everything. I just happened to kind of be shipping toward Isaiah/Beth because things just seemed to be driving at break neck speed in that direction. The direction in which my heart sings, double rainbows break out and I get to go live in Equestria with all my pony friends (Rainbow Dash, we would be the best of friends).
But, you know, I liked Ryan in the end. He was cool. Real cool. Romantic too. There were some nice gestures there, bro.
In fact, he was so nice, the only real relationship I ended up contesting was Beth and her uncle’s. Ultimately, I could imagine Beth deciding she didn’t love Isaiah. That’s cool. Ultimately I could reconcile Beth’s 180 change in characterization, despite my issues with its story line. But the one thing I struggled with was the relationship between Beth and Scott, because this was a really pivotal relationship for Beth’s character development, and I was totally not feeling it. A good portion of the initial respect and tolerance between them is developed off page.
And then it just kind of takes a jagged, cutesy path that I didn’t feel was a natural progression. Of course, it doesn’t help that Beth had to change a lot in ways that I felt were unnecessary. Like you can’t be a good character if you dress like a goth, smoke some weed and like to drink occasionally. I guess I just felt it was hard to watch Beth change to other people’s expectations when a lot of those were a result of needs that didn’t seem to be met.
“I need to be there for my mother! I’ll give everything to help her- no wait. I’m cool. Totes seen the error of my ways. Let’s party, aye, Ryan?”
However, no matter how you feel, it’s still a well written, nice contemporary romance that made me all squishy inside. Up to individual tastes, but most people will mostly like it, so go ahead!
I’m not entirely sure if this review made sense because alcohol, drugs, and dressing in black seem to be a bad combination according to this book. But I guess, what I wanted, was more acceptance of Beth’s actual issues, as opposed to the outward issues. And that never seemed to be addressed fully. Her pain, her issues, were kind of swept aside with platitudes.
And, frankly, I was just in the mood for hardcore truths and badass emotional situations. Having a nice, lovely novel was good, but it just wasn’t the awesomeness I expected from McGarry. Because I love her. And I kind of wanted Unicorns and double rainbows, and Rainbow Dash to read me my favourite book.
Wait… I can still get that, right?
This ARC was provided to me by Harlequin. No money, gifts or favors were exchanged for this review. I mean, I tried to get some but they wouldn't answer my calls and then they were always busy...
This review, and more like it, can also be found on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.
June 10, 2013
Katie McGarry wowed me with her debut, Pushing the Limits, last year. I was a little bit hesitant to start Dare You To because it was Beth's story and I never really liked her character in the book. Plus, she wasn't going to be with Isaiah, who clearly really loved her. But then, the cover came out! And well, you probably just guessed what happened!
Like I mentioned above, Beth was never really a character that I enjoyed. When I started Dare You To, I decided to temporarily forget my feelings for her. However, that didn't really help me. My annoyance with her character amplified by ten-fold. She was a really frustrating character. I guess I should have expected it, but her constant bitchy attitude nearly ruined this book for me. She was angry and rude all the time, making it very hard to grow fond of her. I thought I should give it some time, to let her grow, but her growth took forever. Now, she had a lot going on in her life and I understood her circumstances, but did she really have to spew venom at every person who tried to help her out? Beth's life was anything but easy. She lived with her drug addict mother who had a violent and abusive boyfriend. Beth's mother was a sorry excuse for a mother. It was horrible that Beth was the one who had to look after her when it should have been the other way round. It was painful to watch Beth try to do everything she could to help her mother out when all her mother did was continue to justify the abusive bastard who hit her daughter. I must say that although I thought it was outrageous that Beth continued to help her mom out, at the same time, I appreciated her bravery and devotion to her. With everything that had occurred in her life, Beth was bitter towards everyone and had huge trust issues, so she failed to see the love that her uncle Scott has for her when he adopts her. Towards the end of the book though, she managed to grow a little, appreciating the fact that she had people who loved and supported her and learning to do the right thing. Still, it was very hard for me to connect with her character.
Ryan, the other main character, seemed to be the jock with the perfect life from the exterior, but that was just the exterior. His home life was really messed up with his parents bossing him around and manipulating his every action. Plus, his brother who had come out had left because his parents wouldn't accept the fact that he was gay. So, Ryan felt abandoned by the person that he loved the most. Initially, Beth was only a dare to Ryan. But over the course of the book, he gets really know her and slowly starts to fall for her. Their relationship was full of ups and downs, downs especially because Beth was reluctant to let anyone get close to her. Fortunately, Ryan wasn't one to give up so easily and continues to push Beth into places she was scared to go to. His adamant nature went well with Beth's fiery one. I thought they complemented each other very well. Initially, when the two of them were together in a scene, all I could see was hostility, but this hostility evolved into sparks slowly. Although both of them were physically attracted to each other from the very beginning, it did take some time for their relationship to grow and I really appreciated the slowness of the romance. Like Pushing the Limits, this book was told in dual POVs and I thought Katie McGarry handled it splendidly once again. She's very good at writing multiple POVs and I hope she continues to do so in her subsequent books. McGarry is also very good at writing realistic books with so many serious and intense themes. I have to admit though that I'm slightly disappointed with her for not having more of Isaiah in this book, but I'm going to forgive her for that because the next book is going to be all about him! My heart broke into pieces for him in this book, so I can't wait to see him find his HEA.
Fans of Pushing the Limits will definitely appreciate Dare You To because it was as good as the former. although it might take some time to get accustomed to Beth's voice. Once again, Katie McGarry has nailed it with her intense contemporary novel and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from this talented woman.
<3_<3
That cover ...
My first reaction on seeing the cover
And then I went like this
But then I saw the release date
Oh well! Until then, I'll just be like this
Like I mentioned above, Beth was never really a character that I enjoyed. When I started Dare You To, I decided to temporarily forget my feelings for her. However, that didn't really help me. My annoyance with her character amplified by ten-fold. She was a really frustrating character. I guess I should have expected it, but her constant bitchy attitude nearly ruined this book for me. She was angry and rude all the time, making it very hard to grow fond of her. I thought I should give it some time, to let her grow, but her growth took forever. Now, she had a lot going on in her life and I understood her circumstances, but did she really have to spew venom at every person who tried to help her out? Beth's life was anything but easy. She lived with her drug addict mother who had a violent and abusive boyfriend. Beth's mother was a sorry excuse for a mother. It was horrible that Beth was the one who had to look after her when it should have been the other way round. It was painful to watch Beth try to do everything she could to help her mother out when all her mother did was continue to justify the abusive bastard who hit her daughter. I must say that although I thought it was outrageous that Beth continued to help her mom out, at the same time, I appreciated her bravery and devotion to her. With everything that had occurred in her life, Beth was bitter towards everyone and had huge trust issues, so she failed to see the love that her uncle Scott has for her when he adopts her. Towards the end of the book though, she managed to grow a little, appreciating the fact that she had people who loved and supported her and learning to do the right thing. Still, it was very hard for me to connect with her character.
Ryan, the other main character, seemed to be the jock with the perfect life from the exterior, but that was just the exterior. His home life was really messed up with his parents bossing him around and manipulating his every action. Plus, his brother who had come out had left because his parents wouldn't accept the fact that he was gay. So, Ryan felt abandoned by the person that he loved the most. Initially, Beth was only a dare to Ryan. But over the course of the book, he gets really know her and slowly starts to fall for her. Their relationship was full of ups and downs, downs especially because Beth was reluctant to let anyone get close to her. Fortunately, Ryan wasn't one to give up so easily and continues to push Beth into places she was scared to go to. His adamant nature went well with Beth's fiery one. I thought they complemented each other very well. Initially, when the two of them were together in a scene, all I could see was hostility, but this hostility evolved into sparks slowly. Although both of them were physically attracted to each other from the very beginning, it did take some time for their relationship to grow and I really appreciated the slowness of the romance. Like Pushing the Limits, this book was told in dual POVs and I thought Katie McGarry handled it splendidly once again. She's very good at writing multiple POVs and I hope she continues to do so in her subsequent books. McGarry is also very good at writing realistic books with so many serious and intense themes. I have to admit though that I'm slightly disappointed with her for not having more of Isaiah in this book, but I'm going to forgive her for that because the next book is going to be all about him! My heart broke into pieces for him in this book, so I can't wait to see him find his HEA.
Fans of Pushing the Limits will definitely appreciate Dare You To because it was as good as the former. although it might take some time to get accustomed to Beth's voice. Once again, Katie McGarry has nailed it with her intense contemporary novel and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from this talented woman.
<3_<3
That cover ...
My first reaction on seeing the cover
And then I went like this
But then I saw the release date
Oh well! Until then, I'll just be like this
July 18, 2013
CAN or CAN'T? This is the question...
I finished this one a few days ago so my review might not make sense. Just a few thoughts, okay?
I love YA! Yeah, I know, I keep selling myself like an erotica reader but what really grabs me is a good YA story and this one was pretty good.
I love hate/love relationships. They are the best for me and let's say Beth was not a big fan of Ryan when they met at Taco Bell.
"There is absolutely nothing you can do to ever get me to give you my name or number"
"I bet I can"
"Can't"
There are people than can't dream. Well, they can but they also know their dreams won't come true and this was Beth's situation. She had a shitty life, a shitty family and a shitty future... So can she or can't she change that and dare to dream of a new life?
People like Beth build walls and never let them down but what happens when someone is attempting to let your walls down over and over and over again?
People who make me feel are worse. If I don't feel, I don't hurt
Ryan is one of those guys who apparently has a perfect life. But, what is perfect? Have you ever think about the meaning of perfection??? Being perfect means doing what YOU think is perfect or doing what OTHERS think is perfect for your life?
How many of us will have the courage to be ourselves regardless of what others think?
What will happen when perfect Ryan and imperfect Beth collide? Go read this book and find out.
April 28, 2013
Well, Katie McGarry just wowed me again! Dare to You was just as
AMAZING
if not more that Pushing the Limits!! I was full of intense emotions, and on the edge of my seat the entire read, completely immersed in Beth and Ryan’s story!!
I knew Beth’s story would be something else, because she was such a hard and troubled character in Pushing the Limits, and now we finally see why. Beth is living with her aunt after having the crap beat out of her by her mother’s boyfriend, Trent (what a gem!). Her mother is a loser and that’s putting it mildly, but Beth still feels obligated to make sure she’s okay. When an altercation ends in Beth taking the fall for her mother with the law, Beth ends up in her Uncle Scott’s custody. Beth hasn’t seen Scott in years since he left Beth and she does not welcome his return. She has nothing but resentment and anger at him for abandoning her to the hell her life has become.
Ryan’s life is perfect. At least, that’s what it looks like from the outside. He’s the all-American boy with everything going for him: good looks, promising future in baseball, and a well respected family. What they don’t know is Ryan’s family is falling apart behind the scenes. His parents look like the model couple outside but can barely stand each other behind closed doors. His older brother Mark has been ousted from the family, and Ryan resents and mourns his absence. Ryan had his own struggles, trying to figure out his future. For so long he goes along with his parent’s expectations and desires, but is this what will make him happy?
When a dare brings Beth and Ryan together their worlds collide. They are from very different backgrounds but there’s a spark of attraction between them. At first you can’t tell if they want to kiss or kill each other! But shared troubles bring them together and they start to form a bond. Romance lovers will not be disappointed, because there is plenty of swoon is this novel!!
“We should talk,” I say in a rush before the thought drifts away, but my hand draws another lazy circle on her stomach. Her muscles come alive under my touch, a shudder of pleasure, and I crave to please her.
“No, we shouldn’t,” she answers. “Talking is overated.”*
I had a stupid happy grin at just about everything Ryan did!! In a sea of “bad-boy” characters, Ryan stands out as a good-guy who melts your insides!!
I want her to be wowed so she’ll stay on homecoming court, but more…I want this gift to prove that I know her and that I see beyond black hair and nose rings and cut-up jeans. I see her as she really is—I see Beth.*
*sigh*
Beth was so guarded and hesitant to trust, but you really couldn’t blame her for feeling that way. How can you trust outsiders when your family has let you down so many times and in infinite ways? My heart soared when she finally started letting people in.
Ryan has led such a sheltered life, but his family raised him right, for the most part. How else could you have such a complete gentleman? I can’t express how much I loved and respected his behavior!! The way he treated Beth is what finally made her walls come down and begin to trust. Scott was also a huge part of Beth’s road to healing, and it was nice to finally see a responsible, present and loving adult in YA fiction!!
Ms. McGarry is fast becoming a favorite author of mine, she has a talent for writing amazing and well-fleshed out characters that make you care. Such a moving, emotional, and riveting story! Dare to You is one of my favorite reads of 2013!!
A copy was provided by Harlequin Teen through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
*Quotes taken from an uncorrected proof and may change in the final copy.
You can read this review and more at The Readers Den.
I knew Beth’s story would be something else, because she was such a hard and troubled character in Pushing the Limits, and now we finally see why. Beth is living with her aunt after having the crap beat out of her by her mother’s boyfriend, Trent (what a gem!). Her mother is a loser and that’s putting it mildly, but Beth still feels obligated to make sure she’s okay. When an altercation ends in Beth taking the fall for her mother with the law, Beth ends up in her Uncle Scott’s custody. Beth hasn’t seen Scott in years since he left Beth and she does not welcome his return. She has nothing but resentment and anger at him for abandoning her to the hell her life has become.
Ryan’s life is perfect. At least, that’s what it looks like from the outside. He’s the all-American boy with everything going for him: good looks, promising future in baseball, and a well respected family. What they don’t know is Ryan’s family is falling apart behind the scenes. His parents look like the model couple outside but can barely stand each other behind closed doors. His older brother Mark has been ousted from the family, and Ryan resents and mourns his absence. Ryan had his own struggles, trying to figure out his future. For so long he goes along with his parent’s expectations and desires, but is this what will make him happy?
When a dare brings Beth and Ryan together their worlds collide. They are from very different backgrounds but there’s a spark of attraction between them. At first you can’t tell if they want to kiss or kill each other! But shared troubles bring them together and they start to form a bond. Romance lovers will not be disappointed, because there is plenty of swoon is this novel!!
“We should talk,” I say in a rush before the thought drifts away, but my hand draws another lazy circle on her stomach. Her muscles come alive under my touch, a shudder of pleasure, and I crave to please her.
“No, we shouldn’t,” she answers. “Talking is overated.”*
I had a stupid happy grin at just about everything Ryan did!! In a sea of “bad-boy” characters, Ryan stands out as a good-guy who melts your insides!!
I want her to be wowed so she’ll stay on homecoming court, but more…I want this gift to prove that I know her and that I see beyond black hair and nose rings and cut-up jeans. I see her as she really is—I see Beth.*
*sigh*
Beth was so guarded and hesitant to trust, but you really couldn’t blame her for feeling that way. How can you trust outsiders when your family has let you down so many times and in infinite ways? My heart soared when she finally started letting people in.
Ryan has led such a sheltered life, but his family raised him right, for the most part. How else could you have such a complete gentleman? I can’t express how much I loved and respected his behavior!! The way he treated Beth is what finally made her walls come down and begin to trust. Scott was also a huge part of Beth’s road to healing, and it was nice to finally see a responsible, present and loving adult in YA fiction!!
Ms. McGarry is fast becoming a favorite author of mine, she has a talent for writing amazing and well-fleshed out characters that make you care. Such a moving, emotional, and riveting story! Dare to You is one of my favorite reads of 2013!!
A copy was provided by Harlequin Teen through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
*Quotes taken from an uncorrected proof and may change in the final copy.
You can read this review and more at The Readers Den.
March 2, 2015
Dare You To is a perfect example of a great YA story. I adored Beth and Ryan. She is rough around the edges but vulnerable, and he is a charming, virginal baseball player. Their love story is sweet, emotional and heartbreaking at times, and it all begins with a dare.
I really enjoyed Beth and Ryan's story. Experiencing them falling in love while struggling to deal with some difficult personal issues, I was constantly pulling for them. This was a wonderful, young adult romance.
January 20, 2024
“You're a lot like that bird in the barn. You're so scared that you're going to be caged in forever you can't see the way out. You smack yourself against the wall again and again and again. The door is open, Beth. Stop running in circles and walk out.”
————————————
3 /5 stars
Elisabeth, mainly known as Beth to her close ones, has never had it easy. With her alcoholic mother living with her abusive boyfriend, and her dad walking out of her life when she was just a kid because of something only she and her mother know, to being taken care of by her foster uncles, and then eventually being sent to live with her uncle Scott (who is an ex-baseball player) and his wife, to changing to a new school.
And then we have Ryan, who’s very much known as a baseball player and a complete jock while you’re at it. He’s always followed his dad’s rules, chained to the expectations their parents have for him. And also drained by the emptiness he feels by not being allowed to follow his true dream, and because of the day his older brother had no choice but to walk out of his life.
What starts as a dare turns into something more. Something full of conflict, of fear, and trust issues. Something that might give them both a chance to change each other’s lives and have a new perspective on what loving truly is like.
————————
Unfortunately, I didn’t find this one book as enjoyable as the first one. I kinda seemed it all coming, and I was a bit disappointed on the way the plot developed and don’t even get me started on the miscommunication.
But anyways, the plot was… quite fast paced. It was quite repetitive every once in a while, because the exact same situations happened almost every 3 chapters, it was like a freaking neverending cycle. I didn’t find myself that invested, I honestly just continued reading it because I had the need to and not because I was necessarily deeply into the plot, however, it wasn’t something unreadable either, more like just a fun read.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the romantic relationship, I just couldn’t see the outright chemistry the 2 characters were supposed to have and even if I tried, I could find potential to it at all. So it was pretty meh. I’m not sure if it was because I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters themselves or just the couple dynamic in general, but I might talk about that later.
As for the content of the plot itself, I’d say it was decent. We get to know once again the 2 characters POV’s, and how they’re each struggling with their own demons. However, I did find Beth’s pov way more interesting than Ryan’s, mainly because she struggled with way more things that he had and maybe also because some of the characters from the previous book showed up in here so I kinda enjoyed being more familiarized with them.
The main dilemma of the plot is literally every single aspect of their lives. And by this I mean family, personal, and trust issues. Each character having their own reasons, and maybe one of them being more dramatic than the other.
Now, as for the characters. I… didn’t really like Beth. I’m sorry, but if you present me an edgy teenage girl who changed from a coquette girl to a baddie, I can’t take it seriously. However, I kinda try to understand her at some point. Cause there were times where I just wanted to straight up wished to scream at her and tell her to shut up but then… I kinda remembered everything she went through and my mind found her to be just okay. As for Ryan, same thing applies. Sure, he’s a nice guy and everything but he was just alright. Nothing too flashy or remarkable about him. And just as I said, I wasn’t a fan of the relationship but I didn’t hate it either, it was alright. Not one of my favorite fictional couples but not one that I completely despise either. Glad they kinda managed to work their own issues with themselves and also with the help of each other.
Side characters were okay. Didn’t bring much into the plot, to be honest. They were just there. Except for some of the parental figures which actually brought exceptional attribution to the plot. Other than that, meh.
It isn’t necessary to read the first book of the series to read this one. So if you’re looking to read a bad edgy mean girl with the jock type of guy, then I guess you could give this a try. But it wouldn’t be my first option if I were to recommend something.
————————————
3 /5 stars
Elisabeth, mainly known as Beth to her close ones, has never had it easy. With her alcoholic mother living with her abusive boyfriend, and her dad walking out of her life when she was just a kid because of something only she and her mother know, to being taken care of by her foster uncles, and then eventually being sent to live with her uncle Scott (who is an ex-baseball player) and his wife, to changing to a new school.
And then we have Ryan, who’s very much known as a baseball player and a complete jock while you’re at it. He’s always followed his dad’s rules, chained to the expectations their parents have for him. And also drained by the emptiness he feels by not being allowed to follow his true dream, and because of the day his older brother had no choice but to walk out of his life.
What starts as a dare turns into something more. Something full of conflict, of fear, and trust issues. Something that might give them both a chance to change each other’s lives and have a new perspective on what loving truly is like.
————————
Unfortunately, I didn’t find this one book as enjoyable as the first one. I kinda seemed it all coming, and I was a bit disappointed on the way the plot developed and don’t even get me started on the miscommunication.
But anyways, the plot was… quite fast paced. It was quite repetitive every once in a while, because the exact same situations happened almost every 3 chapters, it was like a freaking neverending cycle. I didn’t find myself that invested, I honestly just continued reading it because I had the need to and not because I was necessarily deeply into the plot, however, it wasn’t something unreadable either, more like just a fun read.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the romantic relationship, I just couldn’t see the outright chemistry the 2 characters were supposed to have and even if I tried, I could find potential to it at all. So it was pretty meh. I’m not sure if it was because I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters themselves or just the couple dynamic in general, but I might talk about that later.
As for the content of the plot itself, I’d say it was decent. We get to know once again the 2 characters POV’s, and how they’re each struggling with their own demons. However, I did find Beth’s pov way more interesting than Ryan’s, mainly because she struggled with way more things that he had and maybe also because some of the characters from the previous book showed up in here so I kinda enjoyed being more familiarized with them.
The main dilemma of the plot is literally every single aspect of their lives. And by this I mean family, personal, and trust issues. Each character having their own reasons, and maybe one of them being more dramatic than the other.
Now, as for the characters. I… didn’t really like Beth. I’m sorry, but if you present me an edgy teenage girl who changed from a coquette girl to a baddie, I can’t take it seriously. However, I kinda try to understand her at some point. Cause there were times where I just wanted to straight up wished to scream at her and tell her to shut up but then… I kinda remembered everything she went through and my mind found her to be just okay. As for Ryan, same thing applies. Sure, he’s a nice guy and everything but he was just alright. Nothing too flashy or remarkable about him. And just as I said, I wasn’t a fan of the relationship but I didn’t hate it either, it was alright. Not one of my favorite fictional couples but not one that I completely despise either. Glad they kinda managed to work their own issues with themselves and also with the help of each other.
Side characters were okay. Didn’t bring much into the plot, to be honest. They were just there. Except for some of the parental figures which actually brought exceptional attribution to the plot. Other than that, meh.
It isn’t necessary to read the first book of the series to read this one. So if you’re looking to read a bad edgy mean girl with the jock type of guy, then I guess you could give this a try. But it wouldn’t be my first option if I were to recommend something.
Want to read
December 6, 2012*** EDIT 12/6/2012***
Cover & Blurb: Beth is very pretty, and so much unlike what I had in mind. And erm... is it okay if I like Ryan a little as in a whole damn lot? Gee, that hunk!
I'm certain it's gonna be a trilogy now, unless Isaiah finds his own HEA in Dare You To, which I sincerely doubt. So, make it three McGarry! You know you want to!
-----
As soon as I saw that Pushing the Limits will have a sequel I was slightly irked since the story felt more than complete. But then I noticed it's about Beth and... not Isaiah?! So I was all like "Hell yeah! Give it to me!".
Hopefully it will be even better than the first, though I anticipate the same degree of drama to say the least, since we're talking about teenagers with huge, multiple issues - both family related and mental ones.
Which reminds me... the guy sounds pretty interesting as well. Slightly intimidated, awed and irritated by Beth judging from the preview chapter I read.
Gosh! WHY ISN'T IT 2013 ALREADY???
P.S. Isaiah will have a book of his own, right? Cause I'm gonna feel bad about him and quite possibly snatch him up for myself!
Cover & Blurb: Beth is very pretty, and so much unlike what I had in mind. And erm... is it okay if I like Ryan a little as in a whole damn lot? Gee, that hunk!
I'm certain it's gonna be a trilogy now, unless Isaiah finds his own HEA in Dare You To, which I sincerely doubt. So, make it three McGarry! You know you want to!
-----
As soon as I saw that Pushing the Limits will have a sequel I was slightly irked since the story felt more than complete. But then I noticed it's about Beth and... not Isaiah?! So I was all like "Hell yeah! Give it to me!".
Hopefully it will be even better than the first, though I anticipate the same degree of drama to say the least, since we're talking about teenagers with huge, multiple issues - both family related and mental ones.
Which reminds me... the guy sounds pretty interesting as well. Slightly intimidated, awed and irritated by Beth judging from the preview chapter I read.
Gosh! WHY ISN'T IT 2013 ALREADY???
P.S. Isaiah will have a book of his own, right? Cause I'm gonna feel bad about him and quite possibly snatch him up for myself!
Want to read
January 4, 2013 OH WOW! What a gorgeous cover!! Can't wait for this!
October 15, 2016
This book was way longer than I initially anticipated it to be. I’ve had mixed feelings throughout reading it, but in the end, I was glad that I stuck with it.
Dare You To is the sequel to Pushing The Limits and follows the story of Beth (who we previously met) and Ryan. Beth’s home life is a private and troubling matter that she is not willing to share with anyone. In attempts to protect her mother from going to jail, Beth finds herself in an unfortunate predicament that leaves her with no other option than to move in with her uncle. Beth now has to combat a new aunt, a new school, and new classmates, specifically golden-baseball-star, Ryan Stone. These two characters have their worlds collide and they are forced to deal with each other, all the while trying to find who they really are underneath their concrete facades.
In comparison to the first book, I found this book to be a little forced (and frustrating). It should be well known that I am not one to typically fangirl over sequels (hush, I’ll make as many exceptions as I please) so that might be contributing to my initial hesitancy towards this book.
The characters took some time to accept whereas I felt an immediate likeness towards Echo (and Noah) in Pushing the Limits. Maybe that partially because we’ve had a previous glimpse at Beth’s character, but for some reason I found it hard to latch onto the story and lose myself in it.
I did eventually become engrossed in the story and found myself cheering the two dorks on and gushing like a little girl (though it was accompanied by many eye rolls and exasperated sighs - yes, Ryan is slightly too cheesy). This book was enjoyable to read, don’t get me wrong, but I felt that it was too drawn out.
I was super happy that we got little cameos of Noah and Echo *squeals* albeit they could have been longer and more frequent, but I was happy to see the little babies again (even if they were being gross).
I have to say, I quite enjoyed the character development in this book. Seeing Beth mature, open up, and build a wonderful bond with her uncle was very touching.
I’m pretty sure I am not yet done with this series. So stay tuned.
There are times when you stand on the cusp of moments so huge, you know you’ll remember them forever.
3.5 stars!!
August 13, 2016
Whoa!!!! The second book was also... Whoa!!!.... Amazing!!!!!
I really liked these series very much, and i liked even more Beth and Ryan's stories... I'm using plural because they were two different stories who connected and became one... And that i love too much in these books. That we have a dual POV! So we understand the things better and from every part....
Oh, my Gosh!!! I really don't know how to start...
In Echo and Noah's story, we met Isaiah and Beth... For Isaiah, i will talk to you in the next book.... But Beth, i swear to you that I didn't like that girl at all... I knew that her life sucked but she was mean to Echo because of the change that she brought to Noah....
She was a major bitch and in the beginning of her book, she wasn't much different than the previous... Her language was bad, her attitude was bad.... Okay she was a bad-ass girl and a fighter and she didn't take bullshits from noone...
But then i was starting to see some glimpses of her soul...
And there were hidden treasures of a lost girl who used to love ribbons....
But there was also fear and loyalty and low self-respect...
She had a really dificult life... All her life she was trying to take care of her mother who was alcoholic and drug addict and she was having a boyfriend that loved to hit her and especially he was enjoying to hit Beth a lot!!!
Her only shelter was Noah and Isaiah... Her best friends, but with Isaiah was more close... He was her anchor... Until everything changed....
Ryan was a beautiful and nice guy!!! Everybody loved him!!!! He was living the perfect life.... He was the best pitcher in baseball team, he was living in a perfect house with his perfect parents... All his life was organised and planned in advanced!!!
But behide closed doors, you never know what really happens.... His perfect life wasn't so perfect after all, but he was trying to remain strong and to keep up with the plan... His only enjoyment was the dares that made with his friends...
The dares was giving him such a rush!!! After all he was born a winner and he didn't accept anything else than the win...
In a dare Beth and Ryan's paths collide with the result not in Ryan's favor. He lost a dare for first time.... But when everything changed in Beth's life and she had to move in with her uncle, Ryan was having one more chance of winning....
But the hearts have their own minds and when they start to beat very fast, you have to hear them....
I liked Beth's spirit...
She was wild, untamed, fiercy at the outside... But inside was a scared little girl...
A girl who was afraid of love and became willingly numb...
But when she starts to feel, she's trying all the time to run away....
And i liked Ryan... He was strong and steady.... And when he loves, he is doing it with all his heart....
Love liberated him in every possible way and i liked the fact that i became a witness in his liberation....
I also have to refer to Isaiah, Noah and Echo, who i loved from the first moment.... Also i liked too much Scott and Lacy, Logan and Chris... And of course, Mark... They were good guys!!!!
I want to say that i didn't like Gwen, she was the real bitch!!!! And also i despise Ryan's father... He was a manipulating pig....
As for Beth's mother??? I don't know... I feel angry with her, but also i feel pity for her... Obviously, she lost her way in some point, but she loved her daughter... But i couldn't ever forgive her if i was Beth!!!! Her actions was unforgivable....
I really liked these series very much, and i liked even more Beth and Ryan's stories... I'm using plural because they were two different stories who connected and became one... And that i love too much in these books. That we have a dual POV! So we understand the things better and from every part....
Oh, my Gosh!!! I really don't know how to start...
In Echo and Noah's story, we met Isaiah and Beth... For Isaiah, i will talk to you in the next book.... But Beth, i swear to you that I didn't like that girl at all... I knew that her life sucked but she was mean to Echo because of the change that she brought to Noah....
She was a major bitch and in the beginning of her book, she wasn't much different than the previous... Her language was bad, her attitude was bad.... Okay she was a bad-ass girl and a fighter and she didn't take bullshits from noone...
But then i was starting to see some glimpses of her soul...
And there were hidden treasures of a lost girl who used to love ribbons....
But there was also fear and loyalty and low self-respect...
She had a really dificult life... All her life she was trying to take care of her mother who was alcoholic and drug addict and she was having a boyfriend that loved to hit her and especially he was enjoying to hit Beth a lot!!!
Her only shelter was Noah and Isaiah... Her best friends, but with Isaiah was more close... He was her anchor... Until everything changed....
Ryan was a beautiful and nice guy!!! Everybody loved him!!!! He was living the perfect life.... He was the best pitcher in baseball team, he was living in a perfect house with his perfect parents... All his life was organised and planned in advanced!!!
But behide closed doors, you never know what really happens.... His perfect life wasn't so perfect after all, but he was trying to remain strong and to keep up with the plan... His only enjoyment was the dares that made with his friends...
The dares was giving him such a rush!!! After all he was born a winner and he didn't accept anything else than the win...
In a dare Beth and Ryan's paths collide with the result not in Ryan's favor. He lost a dare for first time.... But when everything changed in Beth's life and she had to move in with her uncle, Ryan was having one more chance of winning....
But the hearts have their own minds and when they start to beat very fast, you have to hear them....
I liked Beth's spirit...
She was wild, untamed, fiercy at the outside... But inside was a scared little girl...
A girl who was afraid of love and became willingly numb...
But when she starts to feel, she's trying all the time to run away....
And i liked Ryan... He was strong and steady.... And when he loves, he is doing it with all his heart....
Love liberated him in every possible way and i liked the fact that i became a witness in his liberation....
I also have to refer to Isaiah, Noah and Echo, who i loved from the first moment.... Also i liked too much Scott and Lacy, Logan and Chris... And of course, Mark... They were good guys!!!!
I want to say that i didn't like Gwen, she was the real bitch!!!! And also i despise Ryan's father... He was a manipulating pig....
As for Beth's mother??? I don't know... I feel angry with her, but also i feel pity for her... Obviously, she lost her way in some point, but she loved her daughter... But i couldn't ever forgive her if i was Beth!!!! Her actions was unforgivable....
May 20, 2013
But, but, but, but - Beth's not with Isaiah - but, but, but, but - Katie McGarry is a genius, I must trust - but, but, but, but - ALL THE FEELINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 29, 2014
Screw what Mom and Dad think. Screw the rest of the town. Screw perfection. This girl is mine.
~Ryan
REACTION AFTER READING THE BOOK
Totally happy and a little bit teary-eyed.
*clap. clap. clap*
Oh and I have a playlist for this book:
Ryan to Beth: Kiss Me Slowly by Parachute
Isaiah to Beth: What I know by Parachute
For Beth: Broken Angel by Boyce Avenue
Beth to Ryan: Who Knew by Pink or Terrified by Katharine McPhee
This book wasn't perfect. There were stuff here and there that made me want to throw the book out the window but I stuck with it and is totally happy that I did.
THE GIST
Beth Risk lives a life not everyone would be able to handle.
At 17, she's been through a lot and those things made her tough. It made her strong. She knew she had to be strong to protect her mother. But something happened and she got sent off to live with her uncle who used to be her favorite person in the world that is until he left her when he promised not to.
Everyone thinks Ryan Stone was perfect. He was good-lookingand hot. He was a great pitcher. He had the perfect family. He was popular. He wasn't on the top of the class but he was smart.
But if you ask him.. He'll say...
Everyone thinks his life was perfect but what they didn't know was what was happening behind closed doors. Ryan was tired of pretending.
Because of a dare, Beth and Ryan's paths crossed. Because of a dare, their lives took a 360 degree turn. But was it for the good or the bad?
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This would have to be my first book by Katie McGarry and I am totally hooked. Honestly, I had no intention of reading this series at all even though I've read a lot of good reviews about it. I wasn't really sure why but Allen Grace's(thanks girl!! *high five*) review made me change my mind. I was so intrigued by the guy she called Taco Bell boy.
THE CHARACTERS
I think the characters are all awesome. I liked the main ones and the secondary ones. Let me start with.
Beth
Beth was one of those characters you'll hate but love at the same time. She was b*tchy most of the time. She had a dirty mouth. She drinks. She parties too much. She smokes weed. Eventhough she was pretty, she wasn't the type of girl you'd want to take home to meet your parents.
<
As you read through the book though, you'll understand why she has to be that way. You'll eventually see what her struggles are and why she has trust issues. She was the type of girl who looks tough on the outside but a real softie in the inside. What she went through in life is definitely not easy. She had to experience the harsh reality of life at a young age. She felt being unwanted by the people who should be taking care of her and not the other way around.
I kind of didn't like her at first but then who could blame her for all her insecurities and uncertainty with herself. No one was there to tell her that she was beautiful and buy her pretty dresses and give her ribbons (that she loves so much) when she was younger. Her good for nothing mother was useless. Her father was a good for nothing sperm donor who doesn't give a f*ck which was why he ran away. She has good friends though and I think they are the ones that kept her sane. That kept her moving forward. And then.. Ryan came. ^__^
Ryan aka Taco Bell boy
*note: i didn't intentionally picked this guy because he was shirtless. LOL*
Taco Bell boy was the reason I read this book and I was so not disappointed. I absolutely love him. He was far from the cliche-ish bad-boy-turned-good-boy male lead in most YA books. Actually, he was the good boy and he really owned up to it.
At first, I really thought he was perfect but he wasn't. He was far from perfect. He was dependent with his brother but he went away and left him which actually broke him. He felt alone with his parents who were too busy pretending that everything was perfect when it was not. He felt dependent on them too as to what he thinks he wants to do with his life. His father controlled him and he didn't even notice it.
What I loved most about Ryan was how serious he was when it comes to relationship. He was a real sweetheart.
Everything with Beth started as a dare but he then called it off when he started falling for her and he wasn't scared to admit that to his friends, his schoolmates and his family *at least towards the end*.
Oh did I forget to mention that Ryan is one hell of a writer?! That even makes him more sexier. A writer with a sexy six pack abs. *I absolutely love it!*
Isaiah
*note: sorry about that. another shirtless guy here. LOL*
Isaiah. Well, I liked him really. He did nothing but do what is best for Beth but... I really think there was not enough chemistry with them as it is with Beth and Ryan. I haven't read the first book so I had no idea if they looked sweeter there or if Beth was different with Isaiah there but I really just thought of him as Beth's friend.. nothing more.
Sorry guys. I know a lot of you would have and have loved Isaiah but I don't like him for Beth. He doesn't bring out the best in her like Ryan can. But I do agree that he is a good friend. What I wouldn't give to have a friend like him. Sexy. Dependent.HOT. Cool. And a lot more. :)
I'm just so happy to hear that the next book will be about him. He does deserve a happy ending too!
Secondary Characters
I liked Noah and Echo. Although I haven't really read their story, I kind of like how supportive they are of Beth. Especially Noah.
Gwen. I hated her. She thinks she could make everything go how she wants to because she's pretty and popular. Unfortunately, that is so not true.
Uncle Scott. I liked him. He admitted he was wrong when he left and wanted to make it up to Beth. He was very admirable.
Ryan's parents. Meeh. They are crazy perfectionist it's absolutely insane.
Mark. I liked him. He wasn't afraid to go after who he really is. He didn't let his parents tell him what he is
RYAN + BETH = SWEET AND SEXY
This was the type of book that doesn't need to be smutty to be sexy.
Ryan and Beth's relationship was not insta-love. Thank goodness. They were attracted to each other physically yes but that doesn't mean they liked each other. In fact, they hated each other's guts and that is what makes their relationship work for me I guess. They got to know each other more before they fell for each other.
Makes me all dreamy about it really. LOL
I wish I had my own Ryan that would sweep me off my feet and write me poems or stories or whatever. :D
Anyways, there were scenes where they showed how much they liked and wanted to be close to each other but nothing more than that and that's kind of refreshing. I liked that.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I liked this one and will remember Ryan and Beth for a long time. It's one of those stories that will stick to your brain and will remember and smile because it was good.
I liked Beth and Ryan's love story but what I really liked the most was the way it shows how life is never as it seems. Some things you can just see above the surface. Not everything is what it seems. Like with the case of Ryan's family. You think they have everything but they don't. Inside their house, someone was gay, someone was angry, someone was disappointed and someone felt completely alone. But if you look at their perfect family facade, you never would know, unless of course, they tell you or you are a nosy next door neighbor who likes to snoop on other people's lives. Haha.
Beth's case was different. Everyone knows what she is going through but not a lot of people were willing to help. The person she was trying to save doesn't really want to be saved and that is sh*tty. She was endangering her life for someone who doesn't give a f*ck.
Books are really a good thing. It takes you to the mind of another person and see things the way they see. It's an eye opener. And Dare You To is not just a typical YA contemporary romance with a feisty heroine and a swoon-worthy hero but it was also about life and its troubles and how they overcame it.
FINAL RATING
~Ryan
REACTION AFTER READING THE BOOK
Totally happy and a little bit teary-eyed.
*clap. clap. clap*
Oh and I have a playlist for this book:
Ryan to Beth: Kiss Me Slowly by Parachute
Isaiah to Beth: What I know by Parachute
For Beth: Broken Angel by Boyce Avenue
Beth to Ryan: Who Knew by Pink or Terrified by Katharine McPhee
This book wasn't perfect. There were stuff here and there that made me want to throw the book out the window but I stuck with it and is totally happy that I did.
THE GIST
Beth Risk lives a life not everyone would be able to handle.
At 17, she's been through a lot and those things made her tough. It made her strong. She knew she had to be strong to protect her mother. But something happened and she got sent off to live with her uncle who used to be her favorite person in the world that is until he left her when he promised not to.
Everyone thinks Ryan Stone was perfect. He was good-looking
But if you ask him.. He'll say...
Everyone thinks his life was perfect but what they didn't know was what was happening behind closed doors. Ryan was tired of pretending.
Because of a dare, Beth and Ryan's paths crossed. Because of a dare, their lives took a 360 degree turn. But was it for the good or the bad?
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This would have to be my first book by Katie McGarry and I am totally hooked. Honestly, I had no intention of reading this series at all even though I've read a lot of good reviews about it. I wasn't really sure why but Allen Grace's(thanks girl!! *high five*) review made me change my mind. I was so intrigued by the guy she called Taco Bell boy.
THE CHARACTERS
I think the characters are all awesome. I liked the main ones and the secondary ones. Let me start with.
Beth
Beth was one of those characters you'll hate but love at the same time. She was b*tchy most of the time. She had a dirty mouth. She drinks. She parties too much. She smokes weed. Eventhough she was pretty, she wasn't the type of girl you'd want to take home to meet your parents.
<As you read through the book though, you'll understand why she has to be that way. You'll eventually see what her struggles are and why she has trust issues. She was the type of girl who looks tough on the outside but a real softie in the inside. What she went through in life is definitely not easy. She had to experience the harsh reality of life at a young age. She felt being unwanted by the people who should be taking care of her and not the other way around.
I kind of didn't like her at first but then who could blame her for all her insecurities and uncertainty with herself. No one was there to tell her that she was beautiful and buy her pretty dresses and give her ribbons (that she loves so much) when she was younger. Her good for nothing mother was useless. Her father was a good for nothing sperm donor who doesn't give a f*ck which was why he ran away. She has good friends though and I think they are the ones that kept her sane. That kept her moving forward. And then.. Ryan came. ^__^
Ryan aka Taco Bell boy
*note: i didn't intentionally picked this guy because he was shirtless. LOL*
Taco Bell boy was the reason I read this book and I was so not disappointed. I absolutely love him. He was far from the cliche-ish bad-boy-turned-good-boy male lead in most YA books. Actually, he was the good boy and he really owned up to it.
At first, I really thought he was perfect but he wasn't. He was far from perfect. He was dependent with his brother but he went away and left him which actually broke him. He felt alone with his parents who were too busy pretending that everything was perfect when it was not. He felt dependent on them too as to what he thinks he wants to do with his life. His father controlled him and he didn't even notice it.
What I loved most about Ryan was how serious he was when it comes to relationship. He was a real sweetheart.
Everything with Beth started as a dare but he then called it off when he started falling for her and he wasn't scared to admit that to his friends, his schoolmates and his family *at least towards the end*.
Oh did I forget to mention that Ryan is one hell of a writer?! That even makes him more sexier. A writer with a sexy six pack abs. *I absolutely love it!*
Isaiah
*note: sorry about that. another shirtless guy here. LOL*
Isaiah. Well, I liked him really. He did nothing but do what is best for Beth but... I really think there was not enough chemistry with them as it is with Beth and Ryan. I haven't read the first book so I had no idea if they looked sweeter there or if Beth was different with Isaiah there but I really just thought of him as Beth's friend.. nothing more.
Sorry guys. I know a lot of you would have and have loved Isaiah but I don't like him for Beth. He doesn't bring out the best in her like Ryan can. But I do agree that he is a good friend. What I wouldn't give to have a friend like him. Sexy. Dependent.
I'm just so happy to hear that the next book will be about him. He does deserve a happy ending too!
Secondary Characters
I liked Noah and Echo. Although I haven't really read their story, I kind of like how supportive they are of Beth. Especially Noah.
Gwen. I hated her. She thinks she could make everything go how she wants to because she's pretty and popular. Unfortunately, that is so not true.
Uncle Scott. I liked him. He admitted he was wrong when he left and wanted to make it up to Beth. He was very admirable.
Ryan's parents. Meeh. They are crazy perfectionist it's absolutely insane.
Mark. I liked him. He wasn't afraid to go after who he really is. He didn't let his parents tell him what he is
RYAN + BETH = SWEET AND SEXY
This was the type of book that doesn't need to be smutty to be sexy.
Ryan and Beth's relationship was not insta-love. Thank goodness. They were attracted to each other physically yes but that doesn't mean they liked each other. In fact, they hated each other's guts and that is what makes their relationship work for me I guess. They got to know each other more before they fell for each other.
Makes me all dreamy about it really. LOL
I wish I had my own Ryan that would sweep me off my feet and write me poems or stories or whatever. :D
Anyways, there were scenes where they showed how much they liked and wanted to be close to each other but nothing more than that and that's kind of refreshing. I liked that.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I liked this one and will remember Ryan and Beth for a long time. It's one of those stories that will stick to your brain and will remember and smile because it was good.
I liked Beth and Ryan's love story but what I really liked the most was the way it shows how life is never as it seems. Some things you can just see above the surface. Not everything is what it seems. Like with the case of Ryan's family. You think they have everything but they don't. Inside their house, someone was gay, someone was angry, someone was disappointed and someone felt completely alone. But if you look at their perfect family facade, you never would know, unless of course, they tell you or you are a nosy next door neighbor who likes to snoop on other people's lives. Haha.
Beth's case was different. Everyone knows what she is going through but not a lot of people were willing to help. The person she was trying to save doesn't really want to be saved and that is sh*tty. She was endangering her life for someone who doesn't give a f*ck.
Books are really a good thing. It takes you to the mind of another person and see things the way they see. It's an eye opener. And Dare You To is not just a typical YA contemporary romance with a feisty heroine and a swoon-worthy hero but it was also about life and its troubles and how they overcame it.
FINAL RATING
Want to read
December 3, 2012 Sept 25 2012
*SCREAMS
Another book? Am i dreaming? oh my, oh my I'm in heaven!
I'm so happy. Oh great lord~ This is why my life worth livin' for
Just wait for my review. Coming soon~
Noah<3
December 1, 2012
OH HOLY! The COVER, it is so..so..DEEP! OMG! Is that Beth? PERFECTION! And as for the guy hmmm.. Why does he remind me of someone from The Walking Dead?
*SCREAMS
Another book? Am i dreaming? oh my, oh my I'm in heaven!
I'm so happy. Oh great lord~ This is why my life worth livin' for
Just wait for my review. Coming soon~
Noah<3
December 1, 2012
OH HOLY! The COVER, it is so..so..DEEP! OMG! Is that Beth? PERFECTION! And as for the guy hmmm.. Why does he remind me of someone from The Walking Dead?
August 29, 2014
"Game on, Skater Girl. Game On."
Katie McGarry’s Dare You To is YA at its best!!
I was thoroughly engrossed in this story from the first page and I have to admit that I read it straight through and I still wanted more. There isn't a cliffhanger and we get an hea, I just could have read about these characters forever. Luckily Katie McGarry will have another installment to this series.
The story is told in alternating povs of Beth Risk and Ryan Stone.
Who’s Ryan you ask? This is Ryan...
Ryan is beautiful inside and out. He is charming, talented baseball pitcher, virgin, high school senior, popular and completely swoon worthy. I loved this guy!
Ryan and his buddies are constantly playing games of dare with each other. The dares are usually silly and harmless in nature. When Ryan is dared to get (a) name and (b)phone number of a girl who walks in Taco Bell his life will never be the same.
The skater girl was none other than Beth Risk. Beth is the best friend of Isaiah and Noah from Pushing the Limits. A reader remembers Beth as the foul mouth, foul attitude girl, but there is so much more to her. Beth’s determination to save her mother from herself is more than heroic. The beautiful little girl with ribbons is still in there and I truly connected with her.
Beth finds herself in a big mess…
Cue in Uncle Scott. He was a fantastic character!! He steps in to rescue Beth and give her a new life. There are several stipulations to his help but all are done out of love.
As the story unfolds it appears that her new home with Uncle Scott lands her starting a new high school where none other than Ryan Stone attends. Also, her childhood best friend Lacy who attends the school reconnects with her, another terrific character.
While Beth and Ryan move past the dare and find something so special in each other. Beth learns to trust and lay down roots and these two fall in love.
"I told you I loved you in this rain and when you doubt my words, I want you to look at this bottle.”
Ryan’s life isn’t perfect he struggles with his brother’s absence as well as whether to go straight to professional baseball or college. He wasn’t expecting love like he found with Beth and he never faltered in telling and showing her.
“I won't let you go." I blink. As if he could stop me. "You won't let me go." "No, I won't let you go. You're mine and I don't lose.”
Isaiah, Isaiah, my heart broke for him. I can't wait for his book.
I could go on and on about this story. I just loved it! If you liked a good YA book with a hea then Dare You To will be released on May 28, 2013 enjoy!
*ARC kindly provided by Harlequin Limited via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review
Katie McGarry’s Dare You To is YA at its best!!
I was thoroughly engrossed in this story from the first page and I have to admit that I read it straight through and I still wanted more. There isn't a cliffhanger and we get an hea, I just could have read about these characters forever. Luckily Katie McGarry will have another installment to this series.
The story is told in alternating povs of Beth Risk and Ryan Stone.
Who’s Ryan you ask? This is Ryan...
Ryan is beautiful inside and out. He is charming, talented baseball pitcher, virgin, high school senior, popular and completely swoon worthy. I loved this guy!
Ryan and his buddies are constantly playing games of dare with each other. The dares are usually silly and harmless in nature. When Ryan is dared to get (a) name and (b)phone number of a girl who walks in Taco Bell his life will never be the same.
The skater girl was none other than Beth Risk. Beth is the best friend of Isaiah and Noah from Pushing the Limits. A reader remembers Beth as the foul mouth, foul attitude girl, but there is so much more to her. Beth’s determination to save her mother from herself is more than heroic. The beautiful little girl with ribbons is still in there and I truly connected with her.
Beth finds herself in a big mess…
Cue in Uncle Scott. He was a fantastic character!! He steps in to rescue Beth and give her a new life. There are several stipulations to his help but all are done out of love.
As the story unfolds it appears that her new home with Uncle Scott lands her starting a new high school where none other than Ryan Stone attends. Also, her childhood best friend Lacy who attends the school reconnects with her, another terrific character.
While Beth and Ryan move past the dare and find something so special in each other. Beth learns to trust and lay down roots and these two fall in love.
"I told you I loved you in this rain and when you doubt my words, I want you to look at this bottle.”
Ryan’s life isn’t perfect he struggles with his brother’s absence as well as whether to go straight to professional baseball or college. He wasn’t expecting love like he found with Beth and he never faltered in telling and showing her.
“I won't let you go." I blink. As if he could stop me. "You won't let me go." "No, I won't let you go. You're mine and I don't lose.”
Isaiah, Isaiah, my heart broke for him. I can't wait for his book.
I could go on and on about this story. I just loved it! If you liked a good YA book with a hea then Dare You To will be released on May 28, 2013 enjoy!
*ARC kindly provided by Harlequin Limited via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review
May 23, 2013
After Pushing the Limits became one of my favorite reads of last year, I went into this one with a lot of enthusiasm and high expectations. I'm sad that I didn't en up loving it as much, but I still quite enjoyed it and am happy that I read it. I also can see why so many are enamored by it, if I had read it at another time I might have enjoyed it much more as well. As it stands I've been reading a string of similarly plotted books lately so my patience for certain elements of the book has been worn thin.
Unlike with Pushing the Limits, I had a difficult time with the characters and romance in this sequel. I liked the characters okay, and the chemistry is definitely not missing between them, but the back and forth, hot and cold romance they develop went on a little too long for me until I became utterly exhausted with it. Beth is dealing with a drunk mother who has an abusive boyfriend, making her somewhat of a bitter person who blocks everyone out. She has a hard time opening up to anybody, let alone letting anyone get close enough for her to fall in love. Consequently, she's not an easy character to like, but she's meant to be that way. We're meant to sympathize with her situation, which I did, and like how she grows out of it through the story (like expected), but this did not happen until after she had me wanting to rip my hair out. The problem was more with how she dealt with Ryan than anything else. Athletic superstar, popular, rich, and with a bright future ahead of him, Ryan is Beth's polar opposite. It's, at the same time, the allure and the downfall of the romance. Beth being so cautious makes it extremely difficult for Ryan to get her to let him in. At first this was a great kind of frustration. The kind where you yearn for them to finally open up to each other and become rocks to lean on, however this fails to happen for what felt like an extremely long time, I began to lose my eagerness and gain some irritation. My patience for Beth to finally get a clue that the whole world wasn't out to get her ran out and I simply wanted to slap her silly for trying to ruin every good thing she had. I get that she's had a very very hard life, her crappy attitude was just making it worse for herself which made it hard for me to connect with her more than on the surface. Perhaps her keeping everyone at arm's length worked TOO well :) I also can't fail to mention the constant referral to Ryan's looks. She must have described his gorgeous godliness over a dozen times in the book. We get it, he's sculpted perfection, let's move on, shall we?
No matter my complaints, the characters are still carved into real human beings. The character development doesn't miss its mark as Katie, again, creates realistic characters with hearts you can feel beating and breaking. Even though I was a little irritated, I still couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards both of them. Beth for her screwed up upbringing, and Ryan for the pressure he was brought up under. Another part of these books that I enjoy is how it's not JUST about the romance. Beth has to acclimate to a whole new life where she feels anything but welcome, while Ryan is looking at his family crumbling after his brother announced he was gay to a father who thinks the most important thing is perfect outward appearance.
As with any companion novel it's always fun to see old characters again. While I loved hearing from Echo and Noah in their brief cameos in this book, Isaiah stole my heart away. I love his character and my heart broke for him in more ways than one. His character has just as much soul and presence, getting his story line ready for the next book. The 3rd installment of this series will be his story, and I absolutely cannot wait for it as I have a very big feeling it will be my absolute favorite. I just hope he gets his happy ending or I may be found in a puddle of my own tears.
Dare You To may not have been as good to me as I had hoped, but I still found myself flipping the pages eagerly, waiting and hoping these two will finally give in to each other completely. The love and chemistry they share make all the hurt and frustration worth it.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
Unlike with Pushing the Limits, I had a difficult time with the characters and romance in this sequel. I liked the characters okay, and the chemistry is definitely not missing between them, but the back and forth, hot and cold romance they develop went on a little too long for me until I became utterly exhausted with it. Beth is dealing with a drunk mother who has an abusive boyfriend, making her somewhat of a bitter person who blocks everyone out. She has a hard time opening up to anybody, let alone letting anyone get close enough for her to fall in love. Consequently, she's not an easy character to like, but she's meant to be that way. We're meant to sympathize with her situation, which I did, and like how she grows out of it through the story (like expected), but this did not happen until after she had me wanting to rip my hair out. The problem was more with how she dealt with Ryan than anything else. Athletic superstar, popular, rich, and with a bright future ahead of him, Ryan is Beth's polar opposite. It's, at the same time, the allure and the downfall of the romance. Beth being so cautious makes it extremely difficult for Ryan to get her to let him in. At first this was a great kind of frustration. The kind where you yearn for them to finally open up to each other and become rocks to lean on, however this fails to happen for what felt like an extremely long time, I began to lose my eagerness and gain some irritation. My patience for Beth to finally get a clue that the whole world wasn't out to get her ran out and I simply wanted to slap her silly for trying to ruin every good thing she had. I get that she's had a very very hard life, her crappy attitude was just making it worse for herself which made it hard for me to connect with her more than on the surface. Perhaps her keeping everyone at arm's length worked TOO well :) I also can't fail to mention the constant referral to Ryan's looks. She must have described his gorgeous godliness over a dozen times in the book. We get it, he's sculpted perfection, let's move on, shall we?
No matter my complaints, the characters are still carved into real human beings. The character development doesn't miss its mark as Katie, again, creates realistic characters with hearts you can feel beating and breaking. Even though I was a little irritated, I still couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards both of them. Beth for her screwed up upbringing, and Ryan for the pressure he was brought up under. Another part of these books that I enjoy is how it's not JUST about the romance. Beth has to acclimate to a whole new life where she feels anything but welcome, while Ryan is looking at his family crumbling after his brother announced he was gay to a father who thinks the most important thing is perfect outward appearance.
As with any companion novel it's always fun to see old characters again. While I loved hearing from Echo and Noah in their brief cameos in this book, Isaiah stole my heart away. I love his character and my heart broke for him in more ways than one. His character has just as much soul and presence, getting his story line ready for the next book. The 3rd installment of this series will be his story, and I absolutely cannot wait for it as I have a very big feeling it will be my absolute favorite. I just hope he gets his happy ending or I may be found in a puddle of my own tears.
Dare You To may not have been as good to me as I had hoped, but I still found myself flipping the pages eagerly, waiting and hoping these two will finally give in to each other completely. The love and chemistry they share make all the hurt and frustration worth it.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
March 20, 2015
From time to time I like to read love stories.
I like to read stories that make me smile, stories about first love and hope and innocence. I like to read stories about opposite people, from very different backgrounds, that discover that there is something that can bind their worlds.
From time to time I like to forget about work and day to day duties, and instead curl up in my bed with a cup of tea and a cute book that can make giggle and sigh and keep my fingers crossed for a happy ending..
When I started reading "Dare you to" I had 2 things on my mind:
1. How much I loved "Pushing The Limits", the first book in the series;
2. How much I remembered not liking Beth.
You see, intentional or not, you always get to compare (at least a tiny bit) the books in a series. This is why I was happy to see that this story was even better than the first one. Also, I was happy to see how likeable Beth can really be when you get to know her better.
She has had a tough life, that's why she kept a thick shield protecting her from everything and everyone around. Her heart has been broken too many times to count, on too many levels, so she didn't want anyone close to her - and when someone finally got under her skin, she knew how to push that person away in a blink of an eye.
I understood her need to trick Ryan into taking her to see her mother, her need to protect the woman that was never there for her (do I really need to tell you how much I loathed that woman?). I understood why she didn't trust Ryan that much and why it seemed impossible to believe that he might like her. I understood her anger against the whole damn world, I understood why she did confuse friendship with love for a while, I understood why she needed someone so different to save her from her own misery.
“You're a lot like that bird in the barn. You're so scared that you're going to be caged in forever you can't see the way out. You smack yourself against the wall again and again and again. The door is open, Beth. Stop running in circles and walk out.”
We are made to think that good guys are boring.
All that book-marketing advertises is bad boys in leather jackets that treat girls awfully. They throw them in our faces until we forget that there is something else that we need: someone that cares, someone to treat us right, someone to tell us beautiful things, someone to make us laugh, someone to really "get" us, to understand us like no one else, someone to make our hearts flutter with just a smile or a soft touch.
Maybe this is another reason I loved this book so much, because it proves that a 'good' guy can be such a cutie. I mean who needs bad boys when you have someone like Ryan, right? I hate making comparisons but this is what I expected from Chain Reaction a year ago. I wanted a bad girl with troubled past and a good boy to be turned bad. I wanted sparkles and hotness, and realistic conversations and less love at first sight and more of the couple getting to know each other, to care for each other.. I wanted to fall in love with them too. And here I did.
Also, I remember in "Pushing The Limits" how I liked Noah and how I've been so touched by his story and his need to take care of his siblings, but his love-interest, Echo, was a whole different story. She gave me headaches because she didn't have much of a backbone.
But in "Dare You To" somehow I managed to like both Ryan and Beth as different as they were and as impossible as Beth can be sometimes. Yes, it's not like she is perfect (she's had her share of bad decisions and sometimes I didn't approve of her reactions and I wanted to knock some sense into her) but for me Beth was a better character, so much more realistically portrayed.
And Ryan, he was a real sweetheart!
And together they were so cute and fun to be around (or in their minds). Seriously, they had me laughing all the time with their teasing and their dares and I think that they are absolutely perfect for each other.
"I told you I loved you in this rain and when you doubt my words, I want you to look at this bottle.”
I know. I loved Isaiah and it broke my heart to see Beth break his heart, but how could she not? You don't decide who you love, the feeling just creeps into your soul and you can only follow its lead. But don't worry, I hear that Isaiah is going to get his own girl (maybe a good girl), and I can't wait to see his own story unfold.
Now that we're near the bottom of the review I assume that you want to know what to expect from this book, right? Well, there will be some pretty funny scenes, some emotional moments, quite some romance, a bit of suspense here and there and a big dose of awesome!
So what I mean is that.. I dare you to pick up this book and read it!
Or not really, because if you liked the first book in the series you will probably really-really want to get your hands on this one when it becomes available.
Happy midnight reading!
* This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com
Book Source: ARC kindly provided by the publisher for review. I can never thank them enough!
PS: I still think that the guy in the cover looks kinda Ken-alike (and yes, that still creeps me out a bit)
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Blog (EN) | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin' | Blog (RO)
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First thoughts:
4.5 stars and I might decide to round it to 5.
I liked it more compared to the first book - the storyline was a bit more fluid and I liked the characters a lot more.
PS: the guy on the cover creeps me out, he is so... Ken-alike o.O
July 30, 2013
4.5 STARS TO A HEART-POUNDING READ!!!
Dare You To is a companion novel to Pushing The Limits, which i really enjoyed. I think this was a tiny bit better and i loved it. At times i couldn't put it down!
Isaiah is Beth's Risk only true friend that she trusts with her life. He know her secrets. He knows her mother is an addict and alcoholic living with an abusive asshole of a boyfriend, and that Beth is the only one who takes care of her.
But when a lie and cover up leaves Beth in jail, her long lost uncle shows up and takes custody of her. Beth has no choice but to live with her uncle and is struggling to start fresh.
In enter...
Ryan Stone is the schools most popular, gorgeous golden boy. With secrets he isn't willing to share and holds inside. When he get's dared to get Beth's phone number and then go out with her on a date in public, he knows one thing - he doesn't like loosing and he will not fail.
But Ryan get's to know Beth better, and he sees that she's more than dark hair and bad attitude. Soon what started as a dare becomes so much more, but can Ryan protect Beth from the past that is coming back to haunt her?? Will he show her that his feelings are true and gain her trust?
WILL THEY LET EACH OTHER IN?
As i said before, i think this is better from Pushing The Limits, mainly because the ending didn't confuse the heck out of me and i felt a deeper connection to the characters.
Beth was my fav character, i felt a deep connection with her and understanding! Now, i read in some reviews that readers did not like her. Some said she was rude and just unlikable.
OK, i'm not disagreeing with her being a bitch. But seriously people? Seriously? What did you expect from a 17 year old girl who has been through so many sh*t in life? To be all angelic and smiles? I hate to break it to ya, but that's how most teens are, OK? And Beth not only has a reason, but reasons, and actually has the right to being the way she is.
Ryan was a likable character and most of the time i loved him, especially towards the end. But sometimes i was annoyed with him for being such a coward, for not manning up to stand up to his farther and say "You know what? Screw.You. I will do what i like and you have no say in how i live my life." I was proud of him, however, when he did just that.
Overall, Dare You To is a fab and heart-wrenching read that i loved. I'm looking forwards to readig Isaiah's story when it comes out (next year??). It was a bit too full of drama for my liking but i didn't mind much.I extremely enjoyed reading about Beth's problems and life, and recommend this book especially to Contemporary Romance lovers.
Thanks Vibha for BR with me. It was fun darling!!
Dare You To is a companion novel to Pushing The Limits, which i really enjoyed. I think this was a tiny bit better and i loved it. At times i couldn't put it down!
Isaiah is my safe. He has always been. He's that place where i fall when the world turns into chaos.
Isaiah is Beth's Risk only true friend that she trusts with her life. He know her secrets. He knows her mother is an addict and alcoholic living with an abusive asshole of a boyfriend, and that Beth is the only one who takes care of her.
But when a lie and cover up leaves Beth in jail, her long lost uncle shows up and takes custody of her. Beth has no choice but to live with her uncle and is struggling to start fresh.
In enter...
"You should laugh more," he says.
I swallow. "Life hasn't given me much to laugh about."
"I could change that." Ryan invaded my personal space and every part of him connect with a part of me.
Ryan Stone is the schools most popular, gorgeous golden boy. With secrets he isn't willing to share and holds inside. When he get's dared to get Beth's phone number and then go out with her on a date in public, he knows one thing - he doesn't like loosing and he will not fail.
But Ryan get's to know Beth better, and he sees that she's more than dark hair and bad attitude. Soon what started as a dare becomes so much more, but can Ryan protect Beth from the past that is coming back to haunt her?? Will he show her that his feelings are true and gain her trust?
WILL THEY LET EACH OTHER IN?
As i said before, i think this is better from Pushing The Limits, mainly because the ending didn't confuse the heck out of me and i felt a deeper connection to the characters.
Beth was my fav character, i felt a deep connection with her and understanding! Now, i read in some reviews that readers did not like her. Some said she was rude and just unlikable.
OK, i'm not disagreeing with her being a bitch. But seriously people? Seriously? What did you expect from a 17 year old girl who has been through so many sh*t in life? To be all angelic and smiles? I hate to break it to ya, but that's how most teens are, OK? And Beth not only has a reason, but reasons, and actually has the right to being the way she is.
Ryan was a likable character and most of the time i loved him, especially towards the end. But sometimes i was annoyed with him for being such a coward, for not manning up to stand up to his farther and say "You know what? Screw.You. I will do what i like and you have no say in how i live my life." I was proud of him, however, when he did just that.
Overall, Dare You To is a fab and heart-wrenching read that i loved. I'm looking forwards to readig Isaiah's story when it comes out (next year??). It was a bit too full of drama for my liking but i didn't mind much.I extremely enjoyed reading about Beth's problems and life, and recommend this book especially to Contemporary Romance lovers.
Thanks Vibha for BR with me. It was fun darling!!
July 31, 2019
It’s a lot like the first book where even though both of the characters have a lot of baggage, one obvious, one not, the story still managed to entertain me as a reader. It also managed to come off as a bit playful since both characters are always up for dares. It’s a bit heavier than the first book though and quite more mature. The sports element is also very interesting and I liked that the jock is also an excellent writer at the same time. I also appreciate the pairing up of the couple with completely opposite personalities and even opposite worlds and how they were able to complement each other.
June 15, 2021
3.5
Hoşgeldin rs dönemi 😪 bu kitabıda bu dönemde olduğum için okuyayim dedim çerezlik niyetine gayet güzeldi yormadı sıkmadı tam çerezlik kafa dagitmalikti. Bazı yerlerde daha güçlü olmalarını bekledim ama çok pasiflerdi daha yüksek puan olabilirdi,yinede tatlılardı.
Hoşgeldin rs dönemi 😪 bu kitabıda bu dönemde olduğum için okuyayim dedim çerezlik niyetine gayet güzeldi yormadı sıkmadı tam çerezlik kafa dagitmalikti. Bazı yerlerde daha güçlü olmalarını bekledim ama çok pasiflerdi daha yüksek puan olabilirdi,yinede tatlılardı.
June 8, 2014
SALE $1.99 ➜ http://amzn.to/1hwhnV5
6/8/2014
**************
****4 'Ribbons of Hope' Stars****
This is the love story of Ryan & Beth told in both points of view.
Ryan is a high school baseball star. His friends and him are into daring each other to do stuff.
We meet, Beth, in Pushing the Limits. I didn't care for her in that book but by the end of this book she grew on me.
One simple dare leads to Ryan trying to gain Beth's phone number at a Taco Bell. Beth's answer to Ryan is written on the palm of her hand- CAN'T.
These two battle stereotypes that others label them: jock, druggie, perfect, loser....
They learn to trust each other while facing their fears. They CAN make this relationship work.
SERIES:
Novella:
(#1.5)
**ARC courtesy of Harlequin Limited Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
90th book of 2013
6/8/2014
**************
****4 'Ribbons of Hope' Stars****
This is the love story of Ryan & Beth told in both points of view.
Ryan is a high school baseball star. His friends and him are into daring each other to do stuff.
We meet, Beth, in Pushing the Limits. I didn't care for her in that book but by the end of this book she grew on me.
One simple dare leads to Ryan trying to gain Beth's phone number at a Taco Bell. Beth's answer to Ryan is written on the palm of her hand- CAN'T.
These two battle stereotypes that others label them: jock, druggie, perfect, loser....
They learn to trust each other while facing their fears. They CAN make this relationship work.
SERIES:
Novella:
(#1.5)
**ARC courtesy of Harlequin Limited Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
90th book of 2013
April 10, 2013
4 STARS
I wasn't the biggest fan of Noah and Echo's book, mostly because I felt it was bogged down by the heaviness of the theme without succeeding at making me actually care for the characters (especially Echo) enough to sympathize. I didn't even care much for Beth and was certainly not raring to know her story. She came across as a whiny, pessimistic, emo, wannabe.
So this was a pleasant curve ball for me.
This is a girl book. You know, the kind that your boyfriend will never admit to his friends he's read it (because you forced him to) but will probably stash a paperback copy of under the bed. And because this is that kind of book…
Fearless forecast #13: Once released, this book is going to set my GR feed to a perpetual lag with all the gushing and the squeeing and the sniffling and the #ohmygodRyans.
Because that's exactly what I did in the closeted silence of my heart (I'm a closet squee-er).
The key to enjoying this book is to reading it like you're watching a John Hughes movie: don't resist the charm. There's no shame in being charmed by a strong heroine and a sweet hero dancing around each other under the premise of a dare. There's nothing wrong with smiling and clutching your heart over a bottle-full of rain. And it's perfectly alright to have that scratchy feeling in your throat while watching the hero save the heroine from her ghastly past.
Because make no mistake about it, this is a YA-CR formula story. You won't see anything new and cliches will be all over the place. But when executed and written well enough, there can never be enough teen movie grief or homecoming party drama or dysfunctional families that can make me quit this cliche.
This was written in alternating POVs of Ryan and Beth and yet it still managed to pull off character complexity and, more importantly, excellent consistency. Whenever I come back to reading this after setting it aside for a while, it wasn't hard to be immersed again and pick up where I left off my sympathy for the characters.
While it is a teeny-bop love story, I was glad to see it deal at depth with Ryan and Beth's issues outside of each other. More than anything, the story explored how hard it is to accept that you may be more than who you believe yourself to be.
Ryan is standing on a precipice: he has the world at his feet but he doesn't know what to do with it. His conflict stems from what he wants and what everybody else wants from him. Because EVERYONE wants something from him (i.e. his parents, his friends, his teammates, his English teacher) and he's too much of a winner to let anyone down. There's an innocent kindness and inherent honor in his character that makes him instantly likable. Of course the fact that he's a hot baseball player helps.
Baseball. Yawn.
Sorry, but what got me all a-tittering was that he's also a literary genius who writes and dedicates a zombie love story to Beth. If any series needs a novella, this is it. I want to know what happens to George the zombie and Olivia, dammit.
On the other hand, nobody wants to have anything to do with Beth. She's an archive of neglect and the failures of her parents, Scott, her friends (Noah and Isaiah)… everyone has left her at some point to fend for herself. Which she does to the best of her abilities. It's tricky to make a strong, angst-ridden heroine likable (too much makes her a b*tch, too little makes her pretentious) but she's made a fan out of me in 300-something pages. It's very hard to belittle her pain and the way she reacts to everyone makes complete and utter sense without making it embarrassing for me to root for her.
Outside the predictable plot and formulaic, cookie-cutter characters, I have very little to complain about. I would've liked a bit more time between Beth and Scott and maybe temper down the drama a little towards the last 25% but these were very small issues I had. If anything, I was having a hard time looking for the misses in this one.
Overall, a better and stronger sophomore effort from Katie McGarry. One that has made a fan out of this closet squee-er.
ARC provided by Harlequin Teen thru Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
February 23, 2013
"There are memories that exist in my mind that are so clear that if I focus on them enough I could practically relive them" -Beth
Warning:Before starting the book make sure you have a box of tissues lying besides you.
When I finished Pushing the Limits and saw that Beth is getting her own story I was beyond surprised to see that Beth isn't getting with Isaiah but someone else!!!I loved Isaiah as much as I loved Noah!!!What a pity!I really wanted to see them together..
Now that I have finished Dare You To I can only say that I couldn't have been more wrong. Although Beth and Isaiah were a nice combination,Beth and Ryan rocked.They chalenged each other,they learned things from each other and they finally discovered what love really is.The main idea of the book was how hard it's for some people to trust others.And for Beth,it was really hard.No one knows better than her what abandonment and betrayal is.
Ryan came into her life when Beth needed him the most.Although they both thought differently,for me they were prefect.Ok,they had major family problems.But who hasn't ???
However,they were times that I did not approve of Beth's actions.Scott, her uncle, gave her the opportunity to live a new life but she didn't take it even when Isaiah and Noah insisted that she does.I'm just glad Ryan convinced her to give him a chance.
As far as Isaiah is concerned, I was so sorry for him.He was so caring,protective and he loved Beth so much.But,I think that Beth was right when she told him that what they share isn't love.
Overall,the book was AMAZING.It was so emotional at times that it had me crying and there were other times that I couldn't stop laughing.Also ,there were some scenes that both Noah and Echo were present.I really enjoyed those scenes.There was even a particular scene in which, almost all the characters were present.Here's a taste:
I absolutely recommend this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series,Crash Into You,Isaiah's book(so happy he will get his happy ever after).
*ARC provided by NetGalley
First posted on: http://sofialovesreading.blogspot.gr/...
Warning:Before starting the book make sure you have a box of tissues lying besides you.
When I finished Pushing the Limits and saw that Beth is getting her own story I was beyond surprised to see that Beth isn't getting with Isaiah but someone else!!!I loved Isaiah as much as I loved Noah!!!What a pity!I really wanted to see them together..
Now that I have finished Dare You To I can only say that I couldn't have been more wrong. Although Beth and Isaiah were a nice combination,Beth and Ryan rocked.They chalenged each other,they learned things from each other and they finally discovered what love really is.The main idea of the book was how hard it's for some people to trust others.And for Beth,it was really hard.No one knows better than her what abandonment and betrayal is.
Ryan came into her life when Beth needed him the most.Although they both thought differently,for me they were prefect.Ok,they had major family problems.But who hasn't ???
However,they were times that I did not approve of Beth's actions.Scott, her uncle, gave her the opportunity to live a new life but she didn't take it even when Isaiah and Noah insisted that she does.I'm just glad Ryan convinced her to give him a chance.
As far as Isaiah is concerned, I was so sorry for him.He was so caring,protective and he loved Beth so much.But,I think that Beth was right when she told him that what they share isn't love.
Overall,the book was AMAZING.It was so emotional at times that it had me crying and there were other times that I couldn't stop laughing.Also ,there were some scenes that both Noah and Echo were present.I really enjoyed those scenes.There was even a particular scene in which, almost all the characters were present.Here's a taste:
I absolutely recommend this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series,Crash Into You,Isaiah's book(so happy he will get his happy ever after).
*ARC provided by NetGalley
First posted on: http://sofialovesreading.blogspot.gr/...
June 15, 2013
4 stars! Katie McGarry sure has teenage angst down pat!
I really liked this book despite a few issues that I had with it. For the first few chapters I felt a bit annoyed- I mean, come on! You know we were dying for Beth and Isaiah to have their happy ending! Poor Isaiah... I spent a good amount of time mourning my preconceived notion that this book would be about Beth and Isaiah. Then, I was going to slap Katie McGarry for pulling a "She's All That" plot twist... if this whole book was going to be about a dare followed by Beth finding out about the dare and getting pissed at the end... well, then I was OUT. Thankfully, Ms. McGarry is smarter than that. The book really grew on me.
One of my favorite things was that this book was a twist on the "virginal girl and bad boy" trope. A bad girl and an innocent guy- YES PLEASE! I loved that element of the book. It was really nice to see. I actually would have preferred if Katie McGarry went all out and made Beth really experienced. If she had made Beth a sex-positive teen, I think it would have been more gutsy. She didn't necessarily have to have had to sleep with lots of guys, but having Beth be more confident with her sexuality would have been a bolder move. But maybe that is just me...
I had some issues with most of the adults in this book. Allison was just a horrible person- I don't think she redeems herself at all. She doesn't want to know about Scott's past and rougher side: That isn't how someone who loves someone acts. I also think Ryan's parents were disgusting bigots. I felt no sympathy for either of them. And Beth's mom... just horrible. But I sympathized with Beth a little on that. It is hard to abandon the person who is supposed to love you and shred your last hope of any sense of familial normalcy.
My heart broke for Isaiah all during this book. I felt his gut-wrenching pain over losing Beth and her inability to love him as he deserves to be loved. I hope Isaiah gets his own book next- he deserves it.
Overall, I think this book did a great job of captivating me. I stayed up very late to finish it, which certainly says something about my enjoyment level. I am very impressed with Katie McGarry thus far and can't wait to read what she comes up with next.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
I really liked this book despite a few issues that I had with it. For the first few chapters I felt a bit annoyed- I mean, come on! You know we were dying for Beth and Isaiah to have their happy ending! Poor Isaiah... I spent a good amount of time mourning my preconceived notion that this book would be about Beth and Isaiah. Then, I was going to slap Katie McGarry for pulling a "She's All That" plot twist... if this whole book was going to be about a dare followed by Beth finding out about the dare and getting pissed at the end... well, then I was OUT. Thankfully, Ms. McGarry is smarter than that. The book really grew on me.
One of my favorite things was that this book was a twist on the "virginal girl and bad boy" trope. A bad girl and an innocent guy- YES PLEASE! I loved that element of the book. It was really nice to see. I actually would have preferred if Katie McGarry went all out and made Beth really experienced. If she had made Beth a sex-positive teen, I think it would have been more gutsy. She didn't necessarily have to have had to sleep with lots of guys, but having Beth be more confident with her sexuality would have been a bolder move. But maybe that is just me...
I had some issues with most of the adults in this book. Allison was just a horrible person- I don't think she redeems herself at all. She doesn't want to know about Scott's past and rougher side: That isn't how someone who loves someone acts. I also think Ryan's parents were disgusting bigots. I felt no sympathy for either of them. And Beth's mom... just horrible. But I sympathized with Beth a little on that. It is hard to abandon the person who is supposed to love you and shred your last hope of any sense of familial normalcy.
My heart broke for Isaiah all during this book. I felt his gut-wrenching pain over losing Beth and her inability to love him as he deserves to be loved. I hope Isaiah gets his own book next- he deserves it.
Overall, I think this book did a great job of captivating me. I stayed up very late to finish it, which certainly says something about my enjoyment level. I am very impressed with Katie McGarry thus far and can't wait to read what she comes up with next.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
September 21, 2014
RATING: 4.5 HEARTS!!! <3<3
I fell in love with Katie McGarry's writing with Pushing the Limits, and now with Dare You To, I am ecstatic to say that Katie continues to wow me with her beautiful storytelling and gut wrenching emotions, and such realistic characters. I loved Beth and Ryan! :D
Full Review to Come....
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